Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer

BESIDES HEART, mathematics and good fortune will play a crucial role in determining which of three teams survive the drop on this the final day of the National Premier League.

With their lives on the line are St Georges of Portland, on 41 points; the pair of former big guns Seba United (42) and Arnett Gardens (43). Reno also have 43 points but are safe as they have a better goal difference than Arnett Gardens should both teams lose.

In the best position of the trio to survive the drop are Arnett Gardens as, if they avoid a loss to Seba United, then they will stay up.

Must-win situation

Seba, on the other hand - along with St Georges, must win to ensure their safety. If both teams secure draws with Arnett Gardens and Reno, their respective opponents, then St. Georges would be the club to join August Town in the lower leagues next season.

Of the teams now racing to the wire for survival, Seba are the ones most responsible for their predicament. In the first round they were the envy of almost all as their form and brand of football had everyone touting them.

Coach Theodore Whitmore was even rewarded with the position of interim national coach. He still retains a position on the staff now, but they lost their way towards the end of the first round - failing in three matches to secure one point for a place in the end of round final, and they never recovered from that.

Internal problems saw the pride on Montego Bay failing to show for their game against Reno at STETHS on April 30. For that, were debited with a 3-0 loss. They then followed that up by failing to take care of St. Georges at home on Wednesday last, but whatever happens club executive Orville Powell is prepared.

"We knew the situation from the time the decision was taken to get rid of some of these players but it is a decision that had to be made," Powell said making reference to the severance of ties with players Daniel Ricketts, Seian McNeish, Omar Reid, Stephen Irving, Kemar Mills and Neil Lynch for their part in Seba's failure to show for the Reno game.

"I firmly believe that once you do the right thing, good things will happen. Even if we had not done that there is no guarantee that we would not have lost and would have survived anyway. We needed one point from three games to get to the first end-of-round final and these players could not give it to us and for them to behave like that because of the situation was not pardonable," Powell said.

Give no quarter

At Lynch Park, Geoffrey Maxwell will be hoping his players live up to their promise of giving Reno a tough game and reverting to their early season form of treating their home ground like a fortress.

When Jerome Waite replaced Max Straw at Arnett Gardens he was seen as the saviour and, for a while, he seemed to be doing a pretty good job before the club fell away again.

In other games, August Town host Village United while top half of the table games will see champions Portmore hosting Tivoli Gardens, Sporting Central entertain Harbour View and Waterhouse travel to Boys' Town.

TODAY'S GAMES

(All games start at 3:30 p.m.)