By Nodley Wright, Staff Reporter
Arnett's Cornel Chin-Sue in action. - File
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Arnett Gardens and Harbour View are set to move closer to the end of first round final when the penultimate series of games in the first round come to a close today. Five games are on.
The defending champions need just a point from their fixture with lowly-placed Seba United which they meet at Jarrett Park this evening. Harbour View, currently enjoying a fruitful run of form, host bottom-of-the table-Wadadah at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium today.
Following Harbour View's their come-from-behind win over Tivoli Gardens in what turned out to be a spectators treat on Sunday, Wadadah are expected to offer little resistance. Even if national representative Fabian Taylor is not allowed to play ahead of his departure for Grenada with the national team, Harbour View should have no problems hitting the net with regularity.
In Jomo Gordon, Nicholas McReath, Daniel Shaw and the midfield maestro Jermaine Hue, Harbour View have enough weapons to get three of the four points they need to secure their place in the end of round final.
Another interesting fixture should be beteeen the third and fourth-placed Hazard and Village United. Hazard on 18 points will have to win today's game and their final one of the round on Sunday and hope Arnett and Harbour View lose today.
If both teams lose today then a draw between Harbour View and Arnett Gardens on Sunday would benefit Hazard - providing they win today and Sunday. However, Arnett Gardens and Harbour View are unlikely to slip up.
Village United have lost just once this season, away from home to Arnett Gardens, and will not be keen to grant Hazard any favours as each point is important for the next round.
Perhaps the best match for spectators today is the Reno/Rivoli matchup at the Spanish Town Prison Oval. Since Dr Karl Blythe put down an uprising at Reno and instituted a system whereby players are paid based on results, the former national champions have enjoyed a good run of form.
Reno have worked their way from the bottom of the table to fifth. The promoted Rivoli United should see them as a true test in this League. If they can get a favourable result against a resurgent Reno then they would have scored their second win over former champions.
Already they have dispatched Waterhouse and in Patrick Beech, Ray Graham, Santino and Shawn Simpson as well as Nigerian Mobi Okpari they have the quality to cause an upset. Reno on the other hand will be without national goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence but Pete Campbell, Patrick Graham and the veteran Jeffrey Foster will be no pushovers.
TODAY'S GAMES
Village United vs Hazard United at Elletson Wakeland - 3:00 p.m.
Waterhouse vs Constant Spring at Emmett Park - 3:00 p.m.
Seba vs Arnett Gardens at Jarrett Park - 6:30 p.m.
Harbour View vs Wadadah at Harbour View Mini-Stadium - 3:00 p.m.
Rivoli vs Reno at Spanish Town Prison Oval - 3:00 p.m.
