TG, H’View to show DPL mettle
CHAMPIONS Tivoli Gardens and title challengers Harbour View clash in a mouthwatering top-of-the-table Digicel Premier League (DPL) encounter at the Compound, starting at 5:00 pm today.
In other games, Portmore United host Waterhouse; Village United travel to Humble Lions; August Town tackle Sporting Central Academy; Arnett Gardens play Boys’ Town and St Georges meet Rivoli United.
Both Tivoli and Harbour View have been exchanging positions at the top of the league and will start the game level on 57 points.
The match-up might not be a title decider, but could determine who will be crowned champions now that the league has been narrowed to basically a two-horse race with eight rounds to go after today.
In two DPL match-ups this season, the rivals have won one game apiece and on both occasions, the away team was triumphant.
On October 28, Tivoli Gardens won 3-2 at the Compound before Harbour View returned the favour 1-0 on December 27 at Railway Oval.
Tivoli are red-hot, having won their last five games and six of the last seven. They have arguably the best strike force in Navion Boyd (11), Roland Dean (8), Keammar Daley (8) and Owen Powell (6).
The defending champions have scored the most goals, 47, while conceding the least, 19, for a healthy +28 goal difference.
The ‘Stars of the East’ have scored 38 goals with 20 against for a difference of 18 and have a lot of catching up to do in that department.
Marcelino Blackburn with seven goals is their top marksman, but he has been coming off the bench a lot. The ever-dangerous Kavin Bryan (5) and young Andre Fagan (6), along with the mercurial Jermaine Hue, should be the main players in attack.
Harbour View saw their seven-game streak come to a halt last week at Rivoli United, 2-3, and will be looking to rebound in style.
Tivoli, on the other hand, are the only unbeaten team on the road from 14 games and will want to maintain that excellent record.
Meanwhile, the improving Arnett Gardens and Boys’ Town will meet in the Trench Town ‘derby’ for the third time this season.
Both have won this fixture at home, with Arnett winning 1-0 and Boys’ Town triumphing 2-0.
Today, Arnett are again at home and are flying high after winning three of their last four games to climb out of the relegation zone to eighth with 33 points.
Boys’ Town, on the other hand, have not won in their last six games and are out of the DPL race with their fifth spot and 40 points — 17 off the leaders.
If coach Andrew Price is not able to find a solution soon, the Red Brigade could fall into the clutches of a tight mid-table race where only four points separate the sixth- and 12th-placed teams.
Former champion Portmore United, who are struggling at the bottom of the table with 30 points, face a third-placed Waterhouse aggregation, on 43 points, who are finding it hard to win.
Today’s games
*3:30 pm Portmore United FC vs Waterhouse FC @ Ferdie Neita Park
*3:30 pm Humble Lions FC vs Village *United FC @ Effortville Community Centre
*3:30 pm August Town FC vs Sporting Central Academy @ UWI Bowl, Mona
*5:00 pm Harbour View FC vs Tivoli Gardens FC @ Harbour View Stadium (televised game)
*6:00 pm Arnett Gardens FC vs Boys’ Town FC @ Anthony Spaulding Complex (Klass FM radio game)
*6:30 pm St Georges SC vs Rivoli United FC @ Lynch Park