- IAN ALLEN /STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Waterhouse striker Kevin Lamey (left) dribbles the ball while coming under pressure from Tivoli Gardens' Christopher Jackson in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League last season. The old foes face-off again today at the Edward Seaga Stadium.
Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer
THE KEY battle in today's second round of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League is the one between perennial rivals and fifth and sixth-placed teams, Tivoli Gardens and Waterhouse.
Both teams, after a disappointing last three games of the first round when they were in with a chance of making it to the end-of round final, rebounded in the first game of the second round with comfortable 2-0 wins. Waterhouse turned the tables on Arnett Gardens while Tivoli Gardens blanked Boys' Town.
For Waterhouse coach Calvert Fitzgerald the win over Arnett Gardens was a perfect tonic for his side, ahead of today's game. What he will be requiring from his team which was with the exciting young midfield duo of Demar Phillips and Vincent Earle is more of the same.
"We want to continue in the same vein and to do that we have to take a similar approach. We have to take the fight to them, be consistent with it and not allow them to settle," said Fitzgerald, who assumed control of the team at the beginning of the season.
Fitzgerald is aware that it will not be an easy task to upstage the home team at this point of the season. Tivoli Gardens have been one of those teams in the league who get into their stride in the second and third rounds of the competition as their players, who normally return late from summer football in the United States, get into their groove.
"Normally Tivoli Gardens are a second and third-round team so they will be coming out at their best and we definitely have to put the fact that the game is being played away from home at the back of our minds. The format of this competition does not allow for that," Fitzgerald said.
SLIGHTLY DIFFICULT TASK
Their task could be made slightly more difficult by the absence of captain and sweeper Desmond Breakenridge. That blow could be cushioned by the return of Phillips and Earle to provide scoring opportunities for Kevin Lamey and Shane Edwards. Outside of that, Fitzgerald believes there is enough coverage.
"The squad is deep, it is just that we ran into a bit of bad form in the first round," he said.
More pressure could be on Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey and his charges but, never one to shy away from a challenge, he said he will be facing it head on.
"Right now we have to do what we have to do. In order for us to win this competition these are the teams we will have to beat and it is not a hype thing because it is Waterhouse," Bailey explained before adding, "It is a game that we are looking to win".
A win for Tivoli Gardens will have to come without two of their key players in the explosive Jermaine Johnson and the steady Kasai Hinds.
"We will be missing two key players in Johnson and Kasai Hinds and there may be one or two more niggles but I have told the players that they should keep all talk about injuries until Monday, because I do not want any excuses," said the man who led Tivoli to their last title two seasons ago.
With Hinds out, Victor Thompson will have to keep the defensive unit together, while Christopher Nicholas and Orane Simpson will have to get assistance from Roland Dean on the offensive front. Waheem Walker and Denroy Gordon will also have to report in a mood to play.
In other games, the Wadadah/Boys' Town fixture at Jarrett Park could go either way, while Constant Spring should fall to runaway leaders Harbour View. At Frome, Reno should get the better of Rivoli, while Village could just pull off an upset over Portmore United.
Following last week's loss to Waterhouse, Arnett Gardens cannot afford another loss so Seba United will be up against it.
TODAY'S GAMES
Tivoli Gardens vs Waterhouse at Edward Seaga Stadium - 5:00 p.m. Wadadah vs Boys' Town at Jarrett Park - 5:00 p.m. Constant Spring vs Harbour View at Constant Spring - 3:00 p.m. Reno vs Rivoli at Frome - 3:00 p.m. Portmore vs Village at Ferdie Neita Park - 3:00 p.m. Arnett Gardens vs Seba at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex - 3:30 p.m.STANDINGS
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
| Harbour View | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 7 | 14 | 30 |
| Portmore | 12 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 9 | 8 | 22 |
| Village | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 12 | 5 | 20 |
| Arnett Gardens | 12 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 15 | 13 | 2 | 20 |
| Tivoli Gardens | 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 19 |
| Waterhouse | 12 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 12 | 0 | 19 |
| Reno | 12 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 13 |
| Boys' Town | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 12 | -2 | 12 |
| Wadadah | 12 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 12 |
| Rivoli | 12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 11 | 18 | -7 | 12 |
| Seba | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 11 | 19 | -8 | 9 |
| C Spring | 12 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 18 | -10 | 5 |
