Boys' Town tackle champs Portmore
published: Thursday | January 5, 2006

Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

Boys' Town's Garfield Gillespie battles with Rivoli's Derrick Planter in action from their Wray and Nephew National Premier League encounter on Monday at Collie Smith Drive. Boys' Town won 1-0. - WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER

AFTER A feel-good win over the relegation-threatened Rivoli on their return home to Collie Smith Drive, Boys' Town will at 3:00 p.m. today aim to make it two in a row when they take on the defending champions Portmore United in the Wray and Nephew Premier League.

Despite the step up in the quality of the opposition, Boys' Town coach Andrew Price is expecting an even better display from his charges. On Monday, he said, his players were weighed down by the expectations of the massive crowd, which welcomed them home.

"They were a bit nervous as it was the first time in a number of years they were playing at home at this level and they were weighed down by the expectations," said Price of his team which is in seventh place on 23 points in the 12-team league.

READY FOR THE CHALLENGE

The victory over Rivoli would have helped to settle them he said, making them ready for the challenge of Portmore.

What makes Price even more optimistic about his team's chances, other than the fact that they are playing at home, is that in the first round they held Portmore to a 0-0 draw at Ferdie Neita Park. By his account, the defending champions were on the ropes and ready for the knock-out blow.

Price is aware, however, that the team, which is now in fourth position on 31 points with a game in hand, is much improved -especially with the addition of former national striker Onandi Lowe and the return of a number of their players from overseas such as Wolry Wolfe, Roen Nelson and Adrien Mitchell.

PLAYING AT HOME

"Among the variables that have changed is the fact that we are playing at home now, which is a plus for us. They have made a few acquisitions while the only person who has really come in for us is George Vernal who is scoring some goals for us," he explained.

Portmore's coach, Paul Young, knows that today's game is one that he and his team cannot afford to lose if they are to have a realistic chance of pegging back leaders Harbour View who are way out front on 50 points with 13 games to go.

"We are going there for three points as this is a game that we must win," Young said.

"One of the things about our season is that we have not been able to put together enough wins and we have to start doing so on a consistent basis in order to build up a momentum as after this one we have a very tough game against Waterhouse," said Young focusing on both the short and the long term.

Boys' Town, he said, will be on a high following their win over Rivoli and will be further energised by their home crowd. That though will not affect his team's plans, he said.

"We will be positive in our play while soaking up the pressure and then press. We are more experienced than they are at this level and we intend to use that to our advantage," said the man who led the team to last year's title.

DEEPER SQUAD

Not only are Portmore more experienced, but on paper they have a much deeper squad. In addition to Lowe and the returning players, they can call on Omar Daley, Christopher Dawes and Anthony Modeste. The presence of Lowe seems to have lit a fire under Kevin Deerr who has responded with three goals in two games.

Boys' Town will make up with commitment what they lack in name players. In captain Fitzroy Anglin they have a motivational skipper. It will require all his powers of motivation and that of his coach to lift the fast improving O'Neil Thompson, Vernal, Jermaine Bailey, Fabian Wat-kins, Andre Wheeler, Garfield Gillespie and company past Portmore.