Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

The match-up of former champions Arnett Gardens and Portmore United will take the spotlight in today's 10th series of matches in the first round of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League.

Portmore United, the hosts, sit a place and two points below Arnett Gardens who must be eyeing a place in the end of round final providing one of the big two, Waterhouse and Harbour View, slip up.

Coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey has the Arnett Gardens team gelling nicely following his dismissal of seven players considered disruptive to the programme he has been trying to build.

Since that time, they have just had one unfavourable result, a 2-4 loss to Waterhouse. Today, he expects the good run to continue.

Tough game expected

"The game will be tough. They always give us problems. Tactically, they are where they want to be, but we are not there yet, but once the players are willing, as they have shown, we should be able to get a positive result," said coach Bailey.

Portmore United, Bailey said, are taking the game just as seriously as his unit. To make his point, Bailey said he saw coach Paul Young observing his team in action on Sunday against August Town.

Whatever Portmore throws at them Bailey is convinced that once the blend of youth and experience that he has been trying to fashion into an unbeatable unit clicks, then Portmore should be no match for them. Among the players that he will be looking to are leading goalscorer Leon Strickland, Kevin Wilson, Jonathan Williams, Marcelino Blackburn and goal-keeper Julian McLeish.

Raring to go

Portmore United were lucky to beat Naggo Head 1-0 on Sunday, but today Paul Young does not expect his charges to rely on luck.

"We are ready and raring to go," a confident Young told The Gleaner yesterday. "It is true that Arnett Gardens have always been tough wherever we meet them but once we play to the best of our best tactically and technically then we will get a positive result."

What Portmore United are trying to do is to avoid falling too far off the pace which would make it difficult if not impossible to challenge the top two teams as happened last year.

"It is very important that we win this game and get ahead of Arnett Gardens as they are ahead of us right now. The onus is on us to perform if we do not want to fall too far behind."

If victory is to be had by the Portmore team then the likes of national goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers, Kevin Deerr, Jason Morrison, Mario Swaby, Rafei Wolfe and Anthony Modeste will have to get the better of their Arnett Gardens opponents.

In other games Reno are expected to get the edge over the promoted August Town despite playing away at UWI. August Town are very competitive but Reno are running into good form right now and should have a little too much quality for the hosts.

Village United have not done much at home this season. Already they have lost to Boys' Town and August Town and would not want to lose to the other promoted team. A win for Naggo Head would provide them with their first victory of the season.

Wadadah will be eager to return to winning ways following a comprehensive loss to defending champions Waterhouse and a narrow 0-1 defeat at the hands of BoysÕ Town. Tivoli Gardens on the other hand, while not playing at their best, will want to improve their position from seventh and get themselves in a position of respectability.

Since their hammering by Portmore United BoysÕ Town have rebounded with two wins in a row and are stabilizing themselves. A win for Harbour View will cement their place in the end of round final with one set of matches to go.

At Waterhouse Stadium the defending champions will come face to face with the man who brought them to the top flight and gave the blueprint for their success. Today he visits with his new unit, Seba United, which are in desperate need of a positive result. A loss for Waterhouse would allow Arnett Gardens, providing they win, to close the gap on them and increase the possibility of earning a place in the end of round final.

GAMES

August Town vs Reno FC at UWI (3:00pm)

Portmore United vs Arnett Gardens at Prison Oval

Village United vs naggo Head at Elliston Wakeland Centre (3:00pm)

Wadadah FC vs Tivoli Gardens FC at Jarrett

Harbour View vs Boys' Town at Harbour View

Waterhouse vs Seba United at Waterhouse

STANDINGS

Teams	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Harbour View	9	6	2	1	19	12	7	20
Waterhouse	9	5	4	0	17	6	11	19
Arnett Gardens	9	5	1	3	18	15	3	16
Portmore	9	3	5	1	11	7	4	14
Reno	9	4	2	3	18	15	3	14
Boys' Town	9	3	5	1	12	11	1	14
Tivoli	9	2	4	3	13	14	-1	10
August Town	9	2	3	4	5	8	-3	9
Wadadah	9	3	0	6	10	14	-4	9
Seba	9	3	0	6	11	16	-5	9
Village	9	2	3	4	6	11	-5	9
Naggo Head	9	0	3	6	9	20	-10	3