Rush for spots!
FROME, Westmoreland — Inform Reno FC will lead the charge for a place in the finals of the Jamaica Football Federation’s Captain’s Bakery and Grill Western Confederation Super League, when the first leg semi-finals are played this afternoon at the Frome Sports Complex, set to start at 1:30pm.
Reno will face Granville FC in the second game set to start at 3:30pm, after mid-season champions Tomorrow’s People and Wadadah FC meet in the first game — a repeat of the mid-season finals. The second legs will be played next Tuesday at Jarrett Park with the winners on aggregate scores advancing to the final.
The Westmoreland club that is seeking to return to the Red Stripe Premier League after being demoted at the end of the 2011-2012 season, topped the standings after the preliminary rounds with 36 points, one more than Tomorrow’s People- 35 points; Wadadah FC are third on 31 points, with Granville in fourth place on 26 points.
Wadadah FC are making it to the semi-finals for the third straight season, winning in the 2009-2010 season and were losing finalists to Savannah SC last year. Granville who overcame a poor start are in back to back semi-finals, while it is the first time in the top four for Tomorrow’s People.
Granville FC confirmed their place on Sunday after beating relegated Petersfield 3-1 at the Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College, while Holland United, their nearest challengers were held 1-1 by Catherine Hall.
Today, Reno will hope to build on their eight games run since their last loss, a contentious 1-0 margin at Jarrett Park in the return round that knocked them out of the mid- season final.
Reno, who will have the services of head coach Wendell Downswell on the bench are on a momentum having won their last four games by a 9-2 aggregate.
They will also have the psychological advantage over Granville, beating them in their opening game, them drawing 1-1 against them.
Granville will have some momentum of their own, going undefeated in their last 12 games, after getting just one point from their first four games where they failed to score a goal.
Granville must however, find a way to stop the strike pair of Craig Foster and Denmark Gillings who have combined for 13 goals, while hoping their top marksman Jeffroy Leslie will be able to lead them to a victory.
Wadadah are yet to beat the Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis- coached Tomorrow’s People so far this season, beaten 3-2 in the mid-season finals where they were expected to win then drawing 0-0 two weeks later.
Both coaches including Wadadah’s Daniel Ricketts used under strength teams in the mid-season final and after securing their places in the semi-finals with a number of games, were able to rest their top players.
Tomorrow’s People’s Davell Cornwall, the league’s top scorer with nine goals so far, played in the consolation finals where he scored twice, and will be a handful for the Wadadah defence today.
Despite the results of the mid-season finals where the team combined for five goals, goals should be at a premium today with the teams boasting the two best defensive records — Tomorrow’s People has allowed just six goals in 16 games and Wadadah has allowed nine.
Both teams have also scored the most goals, Tomorrow’s People with 26 with Wadadah just behind with 25 and Reno next on 24.