High-riding MBU take on resurgent Stars of the East

League leaders Montego Bay United (MBU) are bracing for a challenging encounter when they face Harbour View this afternoon in the Jamaica Premier League competition at the Harbour View Mini Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 3 p.m.

Head coach of MBU Xavier Gilbert said his team is fully aware of the task ahead, though they enter the contest in a confident mood following a hard-fought 1-0 victory over defending champions Cavalier, a result that lifted them to 49 points at the top of the standings.

Their nearest challengers, Racing United and Portmore United, are second in the standings on 42 points each.

Harbour View, who have struggled for consistency this season, are second from bottom on 19 points. However, they showed signs of revival last week with a confidence-boosting 1-0 win over Mount Pleasant Academy under newly appointed head coach Lenworth ‘Teacher’ Hyde.

“Harbour View have been a tough opposition for the top teams in the league this year, and their result in midweek solidified that,” Gilbert said.

“We drew with them in the first phase, and the teams in the top half have either beaten them narrowly or had to fight to get something.”

He added that the presence of a new technical leader has made preparation even more demanding.

“We know that it is going to be difficult because they are under a new coach, and he is a very good coach with his own philosophy and principles. But, hopefully we can make it uncomfortable for them,” Gilbert said.

“They are going to be at home and confident after their midweek result, but we just hope that we can get the better of them.”

The earlier meeting between the teams serves as a cautionary tale for the league leaders, who held a commanding 4-1 advantage before conceding late goals in a dramatic 4-4 draw.

“We are mindful of how threatening they can be, so we are serious about this game,” Gilbert said.

“We are not watching where they are on the table because we know the quality they possess, and they can hurt us.”

Hyde, meanwhile, is confident his team can build on their recent momentum.

“They are the top team and they are playing good football, so we are looking forward to a very tough game and that is how we have prepared for this game over the last two games,” he said.

“We are going there with confidence and we are going to play our brand of football and try to get a good result at home. That win against Mount Pleasant gave us some confidence and I hope we can stay consistent and just continue to do what we did in the last game and just keep a clean sheet,” Hyde pointed out.

Today’s Games

Dunbeholden vs Treasure Beach at Dunbeholden Sports Complex (3:30 p.m.)

Harbour View vs Montego Bay at Compound (3:30 p.m.)

Monday’s Games

Racing United vs Chapleton Maroons at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex (5 p.m.)

Arnett Gardens vs Spanish Town Police (7:30 p.m.)