Tivoli Gardens and Waterhouse will make a second attempt to be crowned champions of the COK Champions Cup All-Island Knckout competition when they face off at 5:00 pm at the Harbour View mini-stadium today.

The teams were locked at 0-0 at the interval on Sunday, May 4 at the same venue when a power outage forced the abandonment of the game.

There will be no charge for patrons entering the venue today.

Tivoli finished runners-up in the National Premier League and with two wins from three meetings this season, and a more consistent display throughout the league, the tangerine and black-clad unit should start favourites.

However, Waterhouse won when it mattered most, beating their rivals 1-0 for the second-end-of-round title.

But coach of the 2005 KO champions, Wayne Fairclough, believes although his team has not performed particularly well in the closing stages of the season they can overcome their most fancied opponents.

Fairclough rested a number of his regular starters in Sunday's final NPL fixture against Boys' Town. However, he insists that his defence will have to be at its best to stop the more consistent Tivoli team.

"We will try to play attacking football, but we are going to need strong man-to-man marking and to work hard in our defensive unit, because we have not played good in the last three months, but if our defensive unit comes good we will win this game," he said.

The Waterhouse coach revealed that he will still be missing national goalkeeper Richard McCallum with a broken finger, but the rest of his squad is raring to go.

"It would be pleasing to us to win this final trophy of the season, seeing that we have not been playing good. The Tivoli team has been more consistent than us and they will be coming all out to win this silverware.

"But if we can capitalise on the numerous chances we have been creating it would be good for us," he added.
His counterpart, Desmond Francis, says his team his ready for the challenge and believes once they "mark tightly, track in midfield and don't give up any early goals", they'll win the final.

But the former Tivoli Gardens goalkeeper says all previous statistics should be thrown out the window as it's the team that wants it more that will take the crown.

"The game don't favour consistency.you have to show up on the day and play, because it is a final and if you don't deliver on the day you are not going to win," he continued.

Francis said he also rested a number of key players ahead of today's clash, but goalkeeper Leon Gordon was still out injured, and Edsel Scott has just recovered.
Francis added that it was very important for the 1999 and 2006 winners to win this trophy.

"After losing two mid-season finals and missing out on the league it would be very good at the end of this final that we have something to show for the season," he said.

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