Sunday Herald - Sports

Tivoli await Sporting Central

Sitting two points clear of first round winners Portmore United atop the Cash Plus Premier League standings, Tivoli Gardens start favourites this afternoon over ninth-placed Sporting Central, who are yet to win a match away from Brancourt.

Tivoli are hunting their fifth straight victory tomorrow afternoon when they face promoted Sporting Central at the Edward Seaga Stadium, seeking revenge after an embarrassing first round 2-0 loss to the Clarendon side, which ended the game with nine men, at Brancourt.

“To lose a game 2-0, against nine men, it wasn’t an easy pill to swallow,” Tivoli’s manager, Brian Rose, said on Friday.

“After Wednesday’s 3-1 win against Reno our focus immediately turned to Sporting Central and we want revenge for that 2-0 loss. The players are focused and they will settle for nothing less than a victory,” Rose pointed out.

However, Sporting’s 3-0 home win on Wednesday over Boys’ Town was enough proof that Tivoli should not expect three points on a platter.

Despite failing to win on the road, Sporting have only lost two away games in almost two months, 1-0 at Waterhouse and 3-1 at St Georges’ fortress.

Tivoli will be tough to beat with speedy striker Roberto Fletcher and Navion Boyd showing good form.

In addition, striker Roland Dean returned from injury on Wednesday.
“Roland Dean is back,” said Rose. “He played on Wednesday, the last 15 minutes. He is getting there, a bit match rusty but we’re expecting more from him.”

Portmore-August Town
Second-place Portmore are away but fancied to get the better of August Town. Portmore won their first-round match-up 3-1 and should outclass their 10th place rivals.

Waterhouse are at Boys’ Town after drawing 1-1 with Harbour View at home on Wednesday.
Defending champions Harbour View are on 27 points, one behind Waterhouse in fourth and should get the better of Seba, who had blanked them 2-0 at Jarrett Park in the first round.
Seba have two games in hand including Wednesday’s aborted match against August Town and badly need points to lift themselves from seventh spot.

Their second round form has been horrible and their defence will have trouble keeping out Kavin Bryan and Fabian Taylor in addition to the defending champions’ slick midfield led by Jermaine Hue.

Home ground kings, St. Georges, await Reno at Lynch Park, steaming on a 2-1 loss suffered at St. Elizabeth Technical High in the first round. Coach Donovan Duckie was on Friday named as one of four assistants to technical director Rene Simoes, giving the Portland home crowd something extra to cheer about.

Reno should be nervous as only Seba have taken three points from the Portland team since the start of the league.

Relegation zone teams Arnett Gardens and Village clash at the Elliston-Wakeland Centre. Arnett are yet to win on the road this season and are ripe for ambush by the homesters.

GO BACK