Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Boys' Town's Oneil Thompson (right) moves away from Seba's Iton Scott during an earlier NPL play-off game in which Seba won 3-1 at Collie Smith Drive. Boys' Town battle Los Perfectos at the same venue today as they seek to gain promotion to next season's National Premier League. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
IT'S D-Day for National Premier League (NPL) hopefuls Boys' Town and Los Perfectos as they battle for the final promotional spot at the Collie Smith Drive starting at 3:30 pm.
After five rounds, Los Perfectos (Los P) of Manchester and Kingston's Boys' Town are in a do-or-die situation, locked on seven points in second position behind Seba United, who have already qualified with 12 points.
You couldn't have asked for a better scenario. The last round of matches, one promotional spot up for grabs, two teams tied for second and both teams meeting to decide their own fate.
However, Los P are in the driver's seat with the better goal difference of plus-four, having scored nine goals while conceding five. Boys' Town have scored five goals and conceded five.
NO SITTING BACK
A draw for Los P would be enough to give the parish of Manchester a representative in the NPL for the first time in 14 years, but veteran coach Bradley Stewart will not be sitting back and hoping for a stalemate.
"If you want to defend you'll have to attack," Stewart said.
"We don't want to sit back give them too much space. The best form of defence is attack," said Stewart, who started the football season as coach of Premier League outfit Rivoli United.
The last time the teams met, Boys' Town eked out a 1-0 away win at Brooks Park but Stewart is hoping to be more aggressive to reverse that result.
"We'll be much more aggressive than the last time and work much harder. We know we have to go there and give of our best because Boys' Town have everything in their advantage. We have to travel on the road," said Stewart.
"But we are resolute and we are going to fight to get the kind of result that will get us to the premiership," he added.
BIG GAME FOR BOYS' TOWN
Boys' Town, the sentimental favourites to gain the last NPL spot, will be hoping that home advantage plays a crucial role in getting them back in the top league for the first time in 11 years.
Coach Andrew Price, who was a part of that team that last played in the 1994 NPL season, says this game is "the biggest game for the club in the last 10 years."
"It was always our goal from the beginning to be back in the NPL and there is no better place to do it than home," said Price.
"Our players and supporters will be coming out with the energy and guts to get those three points," he said.
Having started the playoffs with a home loss and an away draw, the 'Red Brigade' stepped up with an important away win against Los P, then a loss again to Seba before whipping Star Cosmos 2-0 at home to set up a grand finale.
Los P benefitted from Seba's early qualification by thrashing a weakened team missing seven regular players 3-0. However, Angelo Tulloch, Errol Wilkie, Chad Hendricks, Cleon Barrett, Neil Lynch and Omar White will have to step up big time to deny Boys' Town at home.
The 'Red Brigade' welcomed back the prolific Michael Campbell from injury last week and he duly obliged with a goal against Star Cosmos.
Campbell will be ably supported by captain Fitzroy Anglin, Andrew Wheeler, Oneil Thompson, Marvin Mundy, Wavel Williams, Troy Dawes and Jermaine Bailey and they could prove too much for Los P.
