Racing, Tru-juice meet in St Catherine derby
LEADERS Racing United and fourth-place Trujuice FC will meet in a St Catherine derby, the feature game of today’s eighth round of matches in the Jamaica Football Federation Tier II competition at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, set to start at 3:30 pm.
Four points separate the top teams in the competition as they pass the midway stage of the race to replace Chapelton Maroons and Faulkland FC in next season’s Jamaica Premier League.
Racing United, who had swapped the lead with Meadforest the last two rounds, are currently on 17 points, one more than Meadforest FC and Treasure Beach who are tied on 16 points.
Tru-juice and Lime Hall Academy are both on 14 points, with sixth-place Albion Mountain on 13 points.
Meadforest FC are away to Hopewell United while Treasure Beach host Baptist Alliance at Breds Sports Complex in St Elizabeth.
The high-scoring Racing United are coming off a 7-0 drubbing of Baptist Alliance on Saturday and will be hoping to add to their 41 goals scored when they take on Tru-juice, one of the better defensive teams in the competition.
Tru-juice, who have alternated wins and losses the last three games, have allowed just four goals and will be hoping to contain the likes of Raheem Edwards, Mikyle Williams and Nickyle Ellis who have combined to score 33 goals so far.
Colieke Richards leads Trujuice’s scoring with four goals but they will be able to keep out the Racing United players.
Meadforest FC will start favourites to beat Hopewell United and stay in the top two as they are 10 places and 13 points better than the Hanover club that has scored just two goals and lost six of their seven games played so far.
Treasure Beach FC have won their last three games in a row since losing to Falmouth United, scoring three goals in each of the wins, and will be expected to get the better of the winless Baptist Alliance at home.
After making it to the semi-finals last season Treasure Beach will hope to at least make it one stage better this time and should collect another three points today.
Lime Hall Academy beat Wadada United FC 2-0 during their first meeting in Montego Bay last season, and after already doubling their two wins from last season they will be full of confidence going into the game set for Irwin High School.
The St Ann-based Lime Hall have scored nine goals so far — just two behind their total from 11 games played last season — and will face a Wadada United that has shown marked improvement from the team that conceded 19 goals in their first five games.
The St Mary-based Albion Mountain is another team that has shown improvements from last season and who will hope to make a big step today when they host Reno FC.
Albion Mountain, who are in sixth place on 13 points — better than the eight points they tallied all of last season — are one of two clubs yet to taste defeat this year.
Reno FC are coming off a big 4-1 win over Falmouth United, snapping a three-game losing skid, and will be looking to extend their winning run as they seek to get closer to the top four spots.
Reno FC, despite being in the lower half of the points tables, have scored 15 times so far — the second highest by any team — and will hope Michael Kerr and Jashane Foster will get them another win.
Falmouth United will be desperate for a win after their disappointing loss at Reno FC last weekend and will be away to Portlanders who they drew 2-2 against last year at Lynch Park.
Four of Portlanders FC’S seven points have come at home and five of their six goals as well while Falmouth United are yet to win away from home, picking up just two points for their efforts.
In the other game scheduled Brown’s Town, who led Treasure Beach 2-0 before losing 3-2, will hope for atonement when they take on bottom-placed Down YC at Drax Hall.