HERE in mid-island, Humble Lion versus Sporting Central Academy is always a big deal. But this latest instalment of the Clarendon derby will take on added significance.

They meet tonight, half past eight, inside the Effortville Community Centre, with hosts Humble Lion on the verge of an amazing transformation — moving from relegation strugglers to title contenders — while Sporting are yet again battling to avoid demotion from the Red Stripe Premier League. Fourteen points separate the sides –Humble Lion sitting fourth on 45 and Sporting clinging to 10th place on 31.

So with two different, yet perhaps, equally important objectives, which team is more deserving of the three points? Objectively, there is no right or wrong answer. However, both sets of supporters will lay claim to the victory.

For the central Clarendon-based Humble Lion, three points would be a shot in the arm. With only four games (after tonight’s match) left in the regular season, it would at least preserve their five-point advantage over the fifth-place team, taking them closer to a spot in the play-offs.

And what an achievement that would be. Written off at the start of the season as one of the two teams that will face relegation, Humble Lion got a second chance at life in December when Donovan Duckie replaced Graig Butler as head coach. And they never looked back, losing only once in 15 outings, while winning 12 and drawing two to take 38 points from a possible 45.

Heading into this round of games, only five points separate them from second-placed Waterhouse and three from defending champions Montego Bay United in third. Even if Humble Lion fail to reel in those teams above them (or slip in the semi-final race), what would still make this a good season is that, on arrival at Effortville, Duckie’s mandate was merely to avoid relegation.

Sporting, on the contrary, are in a familiar position of unease. Understandably, there are many who expect them to conjure up another Houdini special. Yet there are those less optimistic observers who fear that Sporting might have used up all their magic. “Look at what happened to Village United,” they say.

Not so long ago, Village were a promising top-flight outfit, boasting quite a few players with Reggae Boyz experience. They were occasional semi-final contenders and regular top-six finishers. Then one day the mystic was gone. Still, not many worried for their safety. After all, Village had mastered the art of escapology. For the first two rounds of the competition they were the league’s whipping boys. Yet, as the third round comes into view, they were like a cheetah — sprinting away from the danger zone towards the haven of the top six. Until that season when their legs got tired and they just could not make it over the finish line in time. Village United are now back in Falmouth, campaigning in the Western Confederation Super League, with no clear indication of a top-flight return anytime soon.

Sporting are not quite as successful in the league as the Trelawny side, but those concerned supporters fear the south-western Clarendon outfit could be on a similar trajectory. In seven consecutive seasons in the premiership, this is their sixth-successive brush with death.

Losing to Humble Lion would be a knockout blow; Sporting would stay above 11th-placed Reno by at least a point, with four games to play, including a possible six-pointer against the Westmoreland team. Destiny is therefore in their hands, and what better way to strengthen those wrists than beating their parish rivals in a fixture of huge importance!