After suffering a slight setback in a 2-1 first-leg defeat, Portmore United will have it all to play for when they enter the jungle to tackle Humble Lion in their decisive Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) second-leg encounter, at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex today.

Both teams will relish the playing conditions at the complex, which will suit their fluent style of play, and this has set the stage for another explosive Monday Night fixture schedule to kick off at 8:40.

Having defeated Humble Lion in three previous meetings this season, Portmore United were stunned at Effortville Community Centre last Sunday and will now have to recuperate in order to fulfil their desire of going all the way in this the 2015/16 season.

The Geoffrey Hewitt-coached team has been in sublime form this season on their return to the nation’s top flight. They entered the semi-final as one of the most consistent teams, but will now have to dig deep into their reserves to make up, and by extension, surpass the one-goal deficit.

The former champions possess a wealth of talent in a squad filled with both youth and experience. If allowed to enjoy their usual attacking flow early in the contest, the one-goal deficit could be erased quickly and they could prove hard to withstand thereafter.

Manager Clive Marshall pointed out that the team will be confident heading into the contest, and in the same breath, quickly dispelled any talk of overconfidence.

“We always hit the pitch with a lot of confidence, but we won’t be overconfident. We will be much more efficient, and if we play our best game, my prediction is that once we play a tactical and disciplined game, then we will go to the final.

“We will have to come from behind, so getting that first goal early in the game must be our approach, but at the same time we have to approach with caution. Humble Lion is a very good attacking team, so we have to be mindful of that and play a much smarter game and make fewer mistakes in the middle of the pitch,” Marshall told the Jamaica Observer.

Marshall admitted that the spirits of the players were dampened following the loss, but noted that their early season form speaks volumes to the quality of the team, and one can expect them to go down fighting.

The five-time champions topped the 12-team standing on their way to the semi-final, with 18 wins from their 33 games, while drawing seven and losing a mere eight to end the preliminary round with 61 points. They scored 42 goals and conceded 29.

“We are trying to lift the spirit of the team, but with the confidence level of my team and overall performance during the season, most of the players in the team with experience know what it takes to lift themselves out of this situation. So I am pretty sure that it remains in the back of their minds and they would want to fix all the issues,” he explained.

However, Humble Lion will enter the contest on a five-game unbeaten run, including the first-leg victory — which was their first over Portmore United — and the one-goal deficit will be a major boost to their momentum.

But while being on a high, Head Coach Vassell Reynolds ruled out any form of complacency.

“The one-goal deficit will help to eliminate any form of complacency from our point of view because we realise that they are one goal away from getting back into the game. But I think we will approach the game with the mindset to get the players to recognise that we need to work for the ball once we lose possession…so everybody becomes defenders.

“So we have to be compact and maintain our shape, and once we are not in possession we have to put Portmore under pressure, especially in crucial areas. We have to rely on our attacking ability to continue to create the chances and capitalise on them,” said Vassell, while addressing journalists at the RSPL Press Conference at Red Stripe’s Spanish Town Road base, last Thursday.

Vassell added that even though they will relish the opportunity of playing at the complex where they have a good history, the expectation will be to give an improved performance.

“We have to concentrate for the entire 90 minutes, and I put some of the responsibility on the senior players out there. We have a lot of experience on the field and I expect them to lead from the front, so I am optimistic,” he noted.

He continued: “We have to realise that if we keep a clean sheet, we will be in the final, and we have to continue to defend well. We have been doing that while creating a lot of chances.

“So we have a balance and we will have to be compact in all areas. Once we get a goal or two, especially the first goal, we will ride on that advantage, so it will be a balance of both attacking and defending.”

Both teams are loaded with talented players, with Portmore United possessing captain, veteran Omar Daley, top marksman Javon East, Ricardo Morris, Malique Foster, Michael Binns, Tramaine Stewart and Ewan Grandison, among others in their attacking and defensive departments.

Humble Lion are also equipped with a level of depth, quality and experience in their squad, namely captain Wolry Wolfe, Levaughn Williams, Ricardo Cousins, Francois Swaby, Devon Hodges and Hugh Howell, among others.