UWI FC, Harbour View set for exciting clash at the Bowl
IT SHOULD be an intriguing Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) matchup at the UWI Bowl this afternoon when title aspirants UWI FC host Harbour View FC, a team that “has been there and done that”.
The history of both teams appears worlds apart, with UWI FC having very little in the competition, this being only their third year. Harbour View have been around so long and have done so much, many view them as the model club in the country. That history has no bearing on where the teams sit in this year’s competition and how well they have performed over the past two seasons.
The ‘newbies’ are in second with 14 points – just one below leaders Arnett Gardens – while Harbour View are in fourth on 10.
“Today should be a humdinger,” Marcel Gayle, coach of UWI FC, said of today’s encounter.
“Harbour View are a good physical team. They have good young players, as do we, and I expect it to be competitive. We are clear about what our job is, and we want to start positively,” he continued.
POSITIVE DEMEANOUR IMPORTANT
A positive demeanour is very important to UWI FC, especially after being hammered 4-1 on Sunday last by the defending champions Arnett Gardens FC. A 1-0 away win on Wednesday should help to restore confidence.
“Kudos to the team, which, after going down 1-4 in my absence to the defending champions, rebounded midweek. They came back stronger, beating Portmore United away. That was a good show of strength,” Gayle reasoned.
Ricardo Gardner is in his first season as head coach of Harbour View and has Girvon Brown of UWI FC.
been steadily getting his team to buy into his philosophy. With two wins, four draws, and one loss in their seven games, the former national player is confident that they are moving in the right direction.
“I think we are in a good a shape. We Arnett UWI FC Portmore H. View Cavalier Tivoli Reno MoBay United Waterhouse B. Town Humble Lion Sandals 7 7 6 7 7 7 7 7 7 6 7 7 4 4 4 2 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 0 3 2 1 4 1 3 3 2 4 2 2 3 0 1 1 1 3 2 2 3 2 3 4 4 16 11 14 5 7 3 4 6 5 4 5 4 5 7 2 2 5 3 8 8 11 8 12 12 11 4 12 3 2 0 -4 -2 -6 -4 -7 -8 15 14 13 10 10 9 9 8 7 5 5 3 continue to improve and believe in the philosophy of play being employed.
“If we want to compete at the top, then these are the games that we have to get points from,” said Gardner, whose team’s sole loss was to Tivoli Gardens.
UWI FC, he said, are a tough team, and the fact that they are playing at home, is a plus, but that will have no effect on his team’s desire to win.
“Playing against them is usually difficult, and added to that, is the fact that they are playing at home, but we want to win just as much as them,” added Gardner.
If Harbour View are to get that win, they will have to contain Ryan Miller, the competition’s leading scorer. New signing Ryan Wellington will have a big role to play in that.
At Frome, Reno will be aiming to stop the rot when they host Portmore United, who themselves will be gunning to return to winning ways after losing to UWI FC on Wednesday, while Boys’ Town will be aiming to end Cavalier’s winning run at two.
Humble Lion will host Sandals South Coast in the relegation zone battle. Anything but a positive result for Humble Lion could see coach Lenworth Hyde suffering a similar fate to Glendon ‘Admiral’ Bailey. Bailey’s former club, Waterhouse, will be going for their second win since his departure, but they could find things tough against Tivoli Gardens.
TODAY’S GAMES
3 p.m.: Boys’ Town vs Cavalier – Barbican Complex 3 p.m.: Reno vs Portmore United – Frome Complex 3 p.m.: Humble Lion vs Sandals South Coast – Effortville Community Centre 3 p.m.: UWI FC vs Harbour View – Mona Bowl 6:30 p.m.: Waterhouse vs Tivoli Gardens – Drewsland Stadium
IIIIITOMORROW’S GAME
8:35 p.m.: Arnett Gardens vs Montego Bay United – Anthony Spaulding Complex
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