Boyd
Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS and end of first round winners Arnett Gardens and second placed Harbour View will be hoping to increase their advantages as the second round of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League (NPL) gets under way today with five matches.
The game between Bull Bay and third placed Hazard has been postponed and will be played on December 5 at Harbour View.
Arnett, Harbour View and Hazard ended the first round locked on 24 points each. Superior goal difference allowed Arnett and Harbour View to advance to the end of round final that was won by the Jerome Waite-coached team in sudden death extra-time last Sunday and the three bonus points give them the edge in the standings going into today's round.
Harbour View will be home to the on-and-off Seba United while Tivoli Gardens, who moved into fourth place after beating Reno in a rescheduled game, will play away to the struggling Constant Spring.
Village will be away at Reno in one of two late games while Wadadah will host Waterhouse at Jarrett Park in a battle of cellar dwellers.
Despite playing away at the Prison Oval, Arnett are expected to start favourites and resume a winning streak that was interrupted by a loss to Seba United at Jarrett Park and a 2-2 draw at home against Harbour View.
Rivoli, who were promoted to the NPL after winning the National A League last season, had a four-game unbeaten streak after losing 3-1 to Arnett in the opening game of the season but have fallen off badly and are now in sixth place and have lost the services of coach Harold Thomas who resigned after a 3-1 loss at Village.
Veteran coach Bradley Stewart has taken over the team.
Despite that loss, playing one man short after goal scorer Rae Graham was sent off in the first half, Rivoli who were making their NPL debut, were not disgraced as it took a good comeback effort from the champions who scored twice in the last 16 minutes to snatch the win.
Arnett have improved in leaps and bounds since then however and with the entire complement of players available will look to dictate the pace through the competition's joint leading scorer Kevin Wilson, discarded national striker Walter Boyd and Jonathon Williams.
Rivoli who have let in 20 goals so far, second only to Wadadah's ugly 32, could have a hard time stopping the Arnett attack which has scored goals so far, second only to Harbour View's 30.
Additionally Rivoli, will be without captain and top striker Patrick Beech who will miss the game on account of the accumulation of yellow cards and coach Stewart will have to find a replacement to partner Graham in attack.
Santino Simpson, the diminutive Loxley Thomson or Derrick Planter could be used to partner Graham in the Rivoli attack.
Seba will try hard to avoid suffering the same fate as fellow Montego Bay team Wadadah who were spanked on their last trip to East Kingston. Seba United appeared to have turned the corner with a masterful display against Arnett at Jarrett Park, winning 2-0, only to go down 3-0 to Hazard a few days later and it will be difficult to predict which frame of mind the team will turn up in today.
Harbour View have been the most attacking team in the league this season with 25 goals in their past seven games.
Midfielder Jermaine Hue has been the main cog in the wheel with his innovative free kicks and critical passes up front to Fabian Taylor, Daniel Shaw and Marvin Morgan.
Seba should have Theodore Whitmore who can take over a game in their line up and along with Wilfred Smith, Markino Gillings and Denton Vidal, could turn the tide, handing Harbour View their second loss of the season.
TODAY'S GAMES
| Rivoli vs Arnett Gardens | - | Prison Oval |
| Wadadah vs Waterhouse | - | Jarrett Park |
| Constant Spring vs Tivoli | - | Constant Spring |
| Reno vs Village | - | Frome Sports Club |
| H View vs Seba United | - | Harbour View Mini-Stadium |
All games start at 3:00 p.m. except the ones at Jarrett Park and Frome which will start at 6:00 p.m.
