Nodley Wright, Freelance WriterFORMER CHAMPIONS Waterhouse last week squandered an excellent opportunity to overtake leaders Harbour View and put themselves in pole position for the 2005-2006 Wray and Nephew National Premier League when they lost to Tivoli Gardens, themselves former champions. The fixture today is expected to be a similarly, if not more difficult fixture against the defending champions, Portmore United.
Today's encounter, one of six on a day when there is a full schedule of matches, will gather the most attention as another slip up for Waterhouse could throw the title back in Harbour View's lap. Harbour View, who were almost handed the title earlier in the season host bottom-placed Rivoli United and are expected to get three points.
At Constant Spring, the relegation-threatened hosts could surrender to the improving Seba United while Seba's neighbours, Wadadah, are expected to get the better of Reno, a team slipping dangerously close to the relegation scrap heap.
Arnett Gardens, fresh from their firing of coach Jerome Waite, will seek to turn over a new leaf against Village United, a team which has always given them a big fight at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex.
BOY'S TOWN ON THE PROWL
At 5:00 p.m., Boys' Town will seek to take down another of their more fancied neighbours, Tivoli Gardens, at their opponents' ground. Victory for Boys' Town would further cement their place in mid-table and the league while Tivoli Gardens would climb closer to the top with a win.
It is a talent-rich and a confident Portmore United that will head to the Waterhouse Stadium today. After putting up a performance to be proud of against the richest and one of, if not the best clubs in CONCACAF, Club America of Mexico, in the CONCACAF Club Cham-pionships on Wednesday, Caribbean champions Portmore United must now be convinced that no club in the country can take them. Coach Paul Young has not said that but could be forgiven for thinking it. His approach to today's game is one of safety first.
"Against Waterhouse, first of all we are going there to avoid defeat but if we can sneak a win, then we most certainly will take it,"Young said.
"We are going there and we expect a tough game as they have a very good home record. The situation has emerged where they lost a game in midweek which could mean they are vulnerable now so you never know," he said.
For them to get the desired result, a similar approach to the Club America game will have to be taken, Young reasoned.
"What we need to do is to maintain our compactness, shape and discipline as we did against Club America in midweek and we should be fine.
"Based on the performance in the game against Club America the players are a pleased but a bit disappointed. I think we showed them too much respect. As the game progressed though we came into our own. The players now know that they can play at that level. That performance is a feather in their cap, a confidence and morale booster ahead of this game," he said.
STRONG ARSENAL
What makes Portmore even more dangerous is the size of their arsenal which includes Onandi Lowe, Kevin Deerr, Roen Nelson, Mario Swaby, the three Wolfe brothers and the emerging talents of possibly one of the brightest defensive talents to emerge from this country in a while, Rudolph Austin, who looked good against the Mexicans. Waterhouse's coach, Wayne Fairclough, has never been a man to back out of any fight and is not about to do so now. According to him, his team took its collective foot off the pedal on Wednesday last against Tivoli Gardens and paid with a loss. The loss, he added, was simply a matter of not converting the many chances created.
"That is how it goes when you get the chances and do not score. We got a number of simple chances but did not put them away," he said matter of factly.
"What that situation has done is to put us in a position where we have to win at least five of the seven games we have remaining. We cannot afford any more slip ups," he continued.
If victory is to be achieved, the competition's leading scorer, Kevin Lamey - who had an uncharacteristically poor time in front of goal, will have to lift his game along with strike partner Jomo Gordon. Strong performances will have to come from Irvino English, Demar Phillips, Vincent Earle and Damion Williams while Marco McDonald and Craig White will have to be at their best in the heart of the defence.
STANDINGS
| | | P | | W | | D | | L | GF | GA | | GD | PTS |
| H View | 25 | 17 | | 3 | | 5 | 41 | 19 | | 22 | 54 |
| W'house | 26 | 15 | 7 | | 4 | 44 | 27 | | 17 | 52 |
| T Grdns | 26 | 13 | | 6 | | 8 | 44 | 31 | | 13 | 42 |
| P'more | 24 | | 9 | 11 | | 4 | 34 | 23 | | 11 | 38 |
| V United | 26 | 10 | | 8 | | 8 | 41 | 34 | | | | 7 | 38 |
| B Twn | 26 | | 9 | 10 | | 7 | 28 | 25 | | | | 3 | 37 |
| Seba | 26 | | 9 | | 5 | 12 | 34 | 36 | | | -2 | 32 |
| Arnett | 26 | | 8 | | 8 | 10 | 32 | 37 | | | -5 | 31 |
| W'dadah | 26 | 7 | | 7 | 12 | 29 | 42 | -13 | 28 |
| Reno | 26 | | 5 | | 8 | 13 | 18 | 30 | -12 | 23 |
| C Spring | 25 | | 3 | 11 | 11 | 21 | 39 | -20 | 20 |
| Rivoli U | 26 | | 2 | 12 | 12 | 20 | 43 | -23 | 18 |
| |
TODAY'S GAMES
Harbour View vs Rivoli at Harbour View - 4:00 p.m.Constant Spring vs Seba at Constant Spring - 3:00 p.m.Wadadah vs Reno at Jarrett Park - 4:00 p.m.Arnett vs Village United at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex - 5:00 p.m.Waterhouse vs Portmore United at Waterhouse Stadium - 5:30 p.m.Tivoli vs Boys' Town at Edward Seaga Stadium - 5:00 p.m.
