Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
DAVIS
THE PLAYING of the end of first round match between Harbour View and Arnett Gardens should have brought matters to a close in the first round of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.
However, that's not the case as there are still two outstanding fixtures to be honoured. They are the Montego Bay derby at Jarrett Park and the Rivoli versus Boys' Town at Prison Oval.
In the first game of the day, Boys' Town, the better placed of the promoted teams, will journey to Prison Oval to tackle Rivoli United in a game which could go either way.
MoBay's football lovers have been starved for some time of something to cheer about. Many of them still pine for the old days when the west ruled the country's football. Those days may be long gone but for 90 minutes they could remind themselves of what things were like when the two Montego Bay giants, Wadadah and Seba, met.
Today, both teams are hoping for a similar atmosphere though they are nowhere near where they used to be.
RELEGATION ZONE
Seba United are just a place above bottom-placed Constant Spring in the relegation zone on eight points, while Wadadah are three points above them on 11 and in eighth place.
"It does not matter how bad Seba or Wadadah is doing, you can expect an exciting game," said Wadadah coach Anthony 'Follies' Williams.
"We are talking about tradition. For the last two years we have not had it. One year Seba was missing; one year Wadadah was missing but the anticipation should be quite high," he said. Seba's coach, Paul 'Tegat' Davis, does not have the luxury of thinking about the show the fans will be expecting. He is more concerned about his team executing on the day and contributing to their league survival. "From the season started we have just been missing chances. Hopefully, today we will be in the best frame of mind. A derby can go either way but we have had a good attitude for the past two games with a win over a Constant Spring and a draw with Reno," Davis said.
If Seba United are to continue in the vein of the last two matches then Sean Bucknor and Wilfred Smith will be key. Bucknor has looked troublesome with his tireless running and willingness to hustle defenders since his introduction to the team.
"Bucknor brought a little bit more urgency up front with Kemar James. They are willing to score goals and they put pressure on opposing defences," Davis said.
"Wilfred Smith looks okay too. The injury seems to be getting better and he is playing a little deeper now behind the two strikers," he said.
In addition to those two, he will rely heavily on the leadership quality and experience of Norman Foster against the dangerous Wadadah duo of Daniel Ricketts and Jermaine Anderson.
But while Wadadah appear to be in a better position right now, Williams will not be taking anything for granted.
"We will take a resilient approach to the game. First and foremost we do not want to lose the game. If we do not lose this game we would not be in the relegation battle which is the unfortunate position we have found ourselves in since returning to the league," Williams said.
If Ricketts, Anderson, Olivia Trail, Rohan Reid and Zico Herrera turn up in a mood to play, not even Seba's superior crowd support can lift them over their rivals.
