Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sports

BOYS' Town needed only to have held Tivoli Gardens to a draw in their last game of the first round, to qualify for the end-of-round final.

However, Tivoli Gardens trudged across Spanish Town Road and left their Collie Smith Drive neighbours grieving, as they snatched what appeared a certain spot in the final for Boys' Town by winning 2-0.

A place now looms in the second end-of-round final, as team of the round and overall leaders with 42 points, Portmore United, have already qualified with 23 points for this second stanza.

They say lightning does not strike in the same place twice, and although their Digicel Premier League match will be played at Edward Seaga Sports Complex this afternoon, and not at Boys' Town, Tivoli can again ease their neighbours out of the finals spot by winning at home.

This game, as well as the other five on today's fixture, will kick off at 3:30 p.m.

Point standings

Boys' Town, joint third overall with 38 points, are second in the round standings with 20, a clear three ahead of Tivoli, Harbour View and Arnett Gardens.

Any result for Boys' Town but a loss, will seal the Red Brigades' place in the final. Otherwise, corresponding victories by the trio that have tallied 17 will necessitate a tiebreaker, which in this case is goal difference.

"I'm sure we've learnt from our mistakes in the first round," stated Boys' Town's technical director, Andrew Price. "We've a lot to play for in this round as we want to keep pace with the leaders. The leaders are only four points ahead of us, it is very important that we get these three points at this time and in getting them we'll also qualify for the end-of-round final. This would be our first end of round final, we really want to do it as the prize money will help us with our coffers, as well as trying to challenge to for the premier league title."

With Denzil Watson transferred to Harbour View, regular BT goal-getters Peter Keyes, George Vernal and Renae Lloyd will lead their hopes.

Ironically, should Tivoli beat Boys' Town, it is hardly likely they will qualify this time as first end-of-round final champions, Harbour View, have a far superior goal difference, plus 18 to their plus 12. Unless there is an aberration, of course. Nonetheless, Tivoli's manager Brian Rose says they're looking to close their end of the bargain.

"We're going to grab at our opportunity and do what we've to do," Rose said about his team, which is bruised with a sizeable injury listing of Edsel Scott, Steve Green, Denroy Gordon, Dwayne Ford, Rupert Murray and Sheldon Palmer.

Despite that, they remain optimistic.

"Right now, we're confident in the team that we have, although we're hit with injuries, because we feel the team we are going to put out tomorrow can do it if they're focused and prepared to play football."

Roland Dean and Navion Boyd, the scorers against Boys' Town in the first round fixture, will headline their charge in this tough fixture that Rose remarked may come down to "who wants it most".

Harbour View, two behind on 40 points, host Portmore in a tough match between the league's top two at Harbour View Mini Stadium, looking to regain the lead and avenge a bitter first round loss away from home in which they conceded a controversial injury-time goal.

"In the last game, we thought we had it in the last second, only to lose it in the last second," admitted Harbour View's assistant coach, Donovan Hayles. "One would want to turn the tables here."

He also pointed to the fact that the Stars of the East can score double with victory.

"It's a double whammy," Hayles remarked. "Winning the game can put us in the second end-of-round final, but it can also put us back at the top of the table. It is a motivating factor from that perspective ... It is going to be a very important game."

No easy task

His team will miss regular scorer Lovel Palmer (on trial in Europe) and goalkeeper Dwayne Miller (travelling with the Reggae Boyz) and he admits though having a full squad, with other main scorers Kavin Bryan, Marcelino Blackburn and Jomo Gordon available, the game will be difficult.

"Playing Portmore is no easy task because they're very efficient, they don't give much away," observed Hayles. "It's going to be very important to concentrate for 90 minutes.

Goal machine Roen Nelson has been on fire and will lead the Portmore charge.

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