Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

WITH A high percentage of the best quality players in the Cash Plus Premier League (CPPL) away on 'national duty', top-of-the-table Tivoli Gardens and close followers Portmore United will share the spotlight in today's round-three action.

Both teams had contrasting results in midweek where the talent-rich Portmore United had themselves schooled by the less fancy Boys' Town, while Tivoli Gardens battled to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Seba United at Jarrett Park. Those results saw both teams swap places at the top of the standings.

While Tivoli have a two-point advantage over Portmore United, they are under no illusions about their status.

"It is a game. Portmore will be missing eight players and we will be missing three. If they can afford not to seek a postponement for this game it means they have confidence in the players that they have and that they believe they can win so we are in no position to take this game lightly," Tivoli Gardens' manager, Brian Rose, said.

The 11 missing players Rose spoke about are with the national team at camp in Brazil, but Tivoli Gardens can add goalkeeper Edsel Scott and midfielder Craig Stewart to their absentees as both are suspended. These, along with Oraine Simpson, Christopher Jackson and young Navion Boyd, have been key to Tivoli's performance this season but Rose is not worried.

Quality not quantity

"This is the whole purpose of having a 25-man squad. It will be an opportunity for others to step up and try to cement a place in the starting team so when the others return it will be more difficult for them to get back in. If they cannot do that, then maybe it will make no sense having them around because we do not just need quantity, we need quality," he said.

Among those who could come into the team are goalkeeper Damion Crooks, Jahmeel Thompson, Akeem Weir, Richard West and Craig Morrison.

As far as Portmore's Linval Dixon is concerned, eight players are a lot to lose but his squad is deep.

"Eight players are a lot to lose but we have good replacements ready to prove themselves. There is a lot of quality. We still have the likes of Anthony Modeste, Kevin Deerr, the Sawyers brothers - Shawn and Tyrone, Anthony Bennett, Roen Nelson, Garth Bootha, Ashton Bennett, Carlington Smith, as well as Anthony and Omar Campbell," said Dixon outlining a group of players many teams would be happy to have available on week in and week out.

Portmore will be without the likes of goalkeeper Dwayne Kerr, Rudolph Austin, Ricardo Cousins, Wolry Wolfe, Eric Vernon, Adrian Reid, James Thomas and Damian Williams but they remain confident the job can be done.

"We are prepared to go into the den to do what we must. Against Boys' Town we were really hurt by the early red card but the focus is back right now and we are confident of going there and getting a positive result.

Motivator

"The last time we played there we won 3-0 and the time before that we won 1-0," Dixon pointed out.

Those same results will be used as a motivator for the Tivoli Gardens players.

"The last time we met them at home we were whipped 3-0 and even though we beat them 1-0 at their home, this 3-0 still sticks in my mind and this is one of the things we will be trying to impress upon them. How important it is to exact some sort of revenge," said Rose

Another key clash will be the bottom-of-the-table battle between home team Village United and August Town. After looking dead in the water for close to two rounds, Village have begun to show signs of life under the guidance of former national player Paul 'Tegat' Davis.

They are currently on a five-game unbeaten run which includes the scalps of Waterhouse away, Tivoli Gardens, Boys' Town, a crucial draw away to St Georges and most recently a 2-1 win away to defending champions Harbour View.

Harbour View vs Sporting Central Time: 4:00 p.m.Venue: Harbour View Stadium

Waterhouse vs RenoTime: 6:00 p.m.Venue: Drewsland

Tivoli Gardens vs Portmore UnitedTime: 5:00 p.m. Venue: Edward Seaga Stadium

St Georges vs Seba UnitedTime: 3:30 p.m.Venue: Lynch Park

Village United vs August TownTime: 3:30 p.m.Venue: Elliston Wakeland Centre