Portmore brace for tough clash
Published: Wednesday | January 14, 2009
St Georges' Dainian Reid (left) controls the ball away from Meadhaven United's Weston Forrest (centre), while St Georges' Dwayne Holmes looks on, during their Digicel Premier League football match at the Constant Spring football field on Sunday. Meadhaven won 1-0. St Georges will host Portmore United in one of today's big clashes. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
Title-holders Portmore United will look to extend the edge over the chasing pack in a closely contested race for the Digicel Premier League top spot, but could face a major challenge when they travel to face St Georges at Lynch Park today.
With four teams in touching distance of the league lead - Harbour View (34), Tivoli Gardens (34) and Boys' Town (33) - there is little room for error.
And the defending champions will have to hold their nerve if they are to come away with full points from Lynch Park, a place where hosts St Georges are yet to be beaten this season.
Tough game
In addition to that, St Georges hold the distinction of being one of only two teams to beat Portmore this season, when they met at Ferdie Neita Park earlier this season.
"It's going to be a tough game going to Georges. It is difficult to play there and teams always look to give up their best against Portmore," said Portmore's assistant coach, Desmond Smith.
"We have been playing well and we expect the guys to continue doing the good things they have been doing on the pitch and hopefully that will take us through to the end of the season.
"We are in front now, it would be nice to stay there, but it is a long season and we just need to focus on winning one game at a time," he said.
Seemingly stuck in a rut of poor form, which has seen them winless in their last three games, Harbour View, recently knocked from the top spot, would like nothing better than to come away with a win from the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, where they face a resurgent Arnett Gardens.
Just two points away from finding a spot in the top six, Arnett, under player/coach Fabian Davis, have won their last three games on the trot, and have already beaten the 'Stars of the East' once this season, at the Harbour View Mini Stadium.
No time for panic
Despite losing the lead and managing to salvage only one point from their last two home games, Harbour View coach Waldermar de Oliviera, who recently rejoined the team, insists it is not time for the outfit to panic.
"We lost one game and continue to be in second position so there is no need to panic," he said. "We just have to continue our hard work."
The Stars of the Easts are perhaps still remembered for losing a 13-point lead and surren-dering the title to Waterhouse three seasons ago.
Hoping to keep pace with the leaders, Boys' Town, on the heels of a huge win at the Harbour View Mini Stadium, will turn their attention to pegging back Meadhaven, a team that has been inconsistent at best this season.
Finding themselves just one win away from the top, third-place Tivoli will look to take full advantage of any slippage in the top four, when they travel to Spanish Town Prison Oval to face Rivoli.
Another team struggling for consistency, sixth-place Water-house, should consider themselves favourites to register their first win of the second round, when they tackle struggling Reno at Frome.
Desperate to stop a skid, which has seen them go winless in their last six games, including back-to-back losses at home, last place Sporting Central Academy will travel to the Elliston Wakeland Centre where they face second-from-bottom Village United.
Meadhaven vs Boys' Town at Constant Spring at 3 p.m.
Rivoli vs Tivoli Gardens at Spanish Town Prison Oval at 4 p.m.
Reno vs Waterhouse at Frome Sports Complex at 3 p.m.
Arnett vs Harbour View at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex at 5 p.m.
St Georges vs Portmore at Lynch Park at 3 p.m.
Village vs Sporting Central at Elliston Wakeland Centre at 3 p.m.
Today's games
Standings
| Teams | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | RP | TP |
| Portmore | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 29 | 13 | 18 | 37 |
| H View | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 25 | 8 | 11 | 34 |
| Tivoli | 17 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 8 | 13 | 34 |
| Boys' Town | 17 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 26 | 14 | 15 | 33 |
| St Georges | 17 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 29 |
| W'house | 17 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 21 | 22 | 8 | 23 |
| Arnett | 17 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 10 | 21 |
| Rivoli | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 5 | 15 |
| Meadhaven | 17 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 15 | 28 | 4 | 15 |
| Reno | 17 | 2 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 22 | 2 | 14 |
| Village | 17 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 17 | 29 | 2 | 14 |
| Sporting | 17 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 2 | 11
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