Parker
Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Harbour View and Portmore Strikers enter today's second-leg Sherwin Williams Women's Premier League Final all square, while Olympic Gardens hold a slight one-goal advantage going into the 'A' League final.
Both games will be played at the Waterhouse Mini-Stadium starting at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
In the curtain-raiser, Olympic Gardens through strikers Alicia Mullings and Kelly-Ann Simpson won the first leg 2-1 and take a one-goal advantage into today's encounter, but the 'A' League title race is still wide open.
The Harbour View/Portmore Strikers match should be another intriguing one as both teams are locked at one-goal apiece.
Harbour View, boasting at least nine present and former national players, have yet to etch their name on the Premier League trophy.
In three previous finals, they have lost to Portmore once and twice to Barbican FC.
On Wednesday, Tanisha Vassell had given Harbour View a sixth- minute lead and they looked set to dominate and rattle up a sizeable advantage. But that was not to be.
The powerfully-built Rochelle Bryan had other ideas and duly brought her team level with a long range drive from 35 metres in 50th minute.
Harbour View, with the likes of goalkeeper Paula Jackson, Tanisha Vassell, Kimmia Parker, Nicole Bell, Shanique Mitchell, Diana Hue - the sister of Reggae Boy Jermaine Hue - Shakira Duncan and Peta-Gaye Soman should start as favourites and duly secure their first title.
Portmore Strikers might not have enough talented players in their squad but they boast arguably Jamaica's best and most lethal player in Venecia 'String Bean' Reid.
Although she was substituted after 45 minutes for what her coach said was dissent, she will be starting today and could wreak havoc on the Harbour View back line.
Reid should be ably assisted by the talented Tashana Vincent, although she limped through the entire second half of the first leg. Other players like Marsha Boyd, Neisha Forbes, Jacqueline Simpson, Rochelle Bryan and Skerima Turner could upset the apple cart.
In four previous meetings, Harbour have triumphed twice, and lost the mid-season finals before playing to a 1-1 stalemate on Wednesday.
Those results mean nothing today as both teams hunt the ultimate prize in local women's football.
