Lowly BT looking to surprise Portmore
RELEGATION FAVOURITES Boys’ Town will continue t heir fight against the improbable – some say impossible – when they play away to leaders Portmore United at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
Last week, the former champions, who are now rooted at the foot of the table, stopped defending champions and current second-place Arnett Gardens 2-1 on the back of a rare double strike by the 36-yearold Daemion Benjamin. That win improved the Collie Smith Drive club’s tally to 17 points, two below fellow relegation-bound Sandals South Coast but 13 behind Humble Lion, the only other team within striking distance with six games to play and a possible 18 points to be accrued.
The above situation assumes that Boys’ Town will win all of their remaining games, that Humble Lion will lose all of theirs, and that Sandals South Coast will win one game less than the bottom-placed Boys’ Town. As unlikely as that situation is to happen, bearing in mind that they have accumulated just three wins all season, Boys’ Town coach Andrew Price is refusing to give up on the belief in their survival.
“Once it is mathematically possible, we are going to give it our best shot,” said Price, who has served the club with distinction both as a player and now as a coach.
Like last week, belief and veteran leadership could do the trick today against the leaders and title favourites.
“I have said it to the senior players
– that they will have to lead the junior players. I have told Benjamin, Michael Campbell, Wayne Ellis, and Xavian Virgo that they will have to lead the young ones if we
are to have the result that we desire,” continued Price.
Portmore United, on the other hand, will be eager to create even more distance between themselves and the other teams and will not find Boys’ Town a major threat should they field a strong team and play to the best of their abilities. In Jovan East and Ricardo Morris, they have two of the top five goalscorers in the league. There is also the rejuvenated Maalique Foster, who has maintained his hot goalscoring form, which saw him light up the Caribbean Combine, Jamaica’s two-match tour of Turkey, and Portmore United’s participation in the CFU Champions League.
Despite Portmore’s obvious advantage, Price is hoping that the exertions in the CFU Champions League will make the Shavar Thomas-coached team vulnerable.
“I know that Portmore are brimming with confidence, having advanced to the next round of the Champions League, but there is also the situation where they have played three matches in five days in that competition, so, hopefully, they are not as sharp,” Price said.
TODAY’S GAMES
■ 5 p.m.: Cavalier vs Waterhouse – Stadium East
■ 7 p.m.: Harbour View vs Humble Lion – Harbour View Stadium
■ 3 p.m.: Montego Bay United vs Reno – Wespow Park
■ 3 p.m.: Portmore United vs Boys Town – Prison Oval
■ 3 p.m.: Sandals South Coast vs Tivoli Gardens – STETHS
TOMORROW’S GAME
■ 8:35 p.m.: Arnett Gardens vs UWI FC – Anthony Spaulding Complex