Arnett's Waite aims to keep clear of chasing pack

Promoted Barbican Football Club will once again seek to lift themselves off the foot of the table when they host leaders Arnett Gardens in the Red Stripe Premier League.

On Thursday last, they appeared to be making that dream a reality when they raced into a 2-0 lead over the more-seasoned Tivoli Gardens at the Edward Seaga Stadium. That result was preceded by battling draws with Rivoli Football Club and fellow relegation battlers Reno Football Club.

"Against Tivoli, after leading 2-0 for most of the game, we lost discipline and conceded three goals, but we have been playing better, generally," coach Marvin Tate reflected.

For today's game, he said the task will be tough, but he remains confident that they will deliver a positive result.

"Against Arnett, we are placed in a precarious position, as we have two players out to injuries from the Tivoli game, and two on red cards from the same game.

"Despite that, though, I think the players that we have coming in, they are credible and are in a position to hold out for a win or at least a draw at home," said Tate, the third head coach employed to Barbican this season.

Among the players that Barbican will be without are inspirational captain Anthony Christie and Mario McDonald, both injured, while Ramone McGregor and Keno Simpson will sit out due to red cards.

real battle expected

While those losses will be significant, Tate has the experienced Steve Green - who scored a double against his former club, Tivoli Gardens, on Thursday - Shawn Lawes, Bebeto McDonald, and Marvin Senior available to him.

The gap between both teams appears great on paper but, in terms of play, Arnett Gardens are not miles away from their opponents. Their last three games saw them suffering back-to-back losses to Humble Lion and the struggling Sporting Central, before rebounding to clip Waterhouse 1-0 in the top-of-the-table clash on Thursday.

Based on the above reality and the fact that Arnett Gardens were only able to edge Barbican 1-0 when both teams met over three weeks ago, Arnett Gardens' coach, Jerome Waite, is expecting a real battle.

"We know that Barbican are a useful bunch. The fact that they are playing the number-one team, they will put up a fight, and we are expecting a tough game, but the fact that we are on a rebound after beating Waterhouse following those two losses is a plus for us," Waite told The Sunday Gleaner.

While the likes of Alanzo Adlam, Marcelino Blackburn, Dasha Satchwell, and Dicoy Williams may not start the game, Waite expects a win.

"We are looking forward to a positive result. Our objective is always to keep out of the reach of the chasing pack," declared the man who has his eyes on this year's title.