St Georges hunt progress vs H’View
LEADERS Harbour View host St Georges in the key match-up at the Compound at 6:30 in this afternoon’s Digicel Premier League (DPL) roster.
In the other games, Tivoli Gardens host August Town; Portmore United travel to Humble Lions; Village United tackle Waterhouse; Arnett Gardens play Sporting Central Academy and Rivoli meet Boys’ Town.
Harbour View, on 48 points, are six ahead of their nearest challengers but 11 ahead of today’s opponents, who will be looking to quickly reduce that deficit.
The ‘Stars of ther East’, who won the second End-of-Round Final, will have their hands full against a tough St Georges aggregation, but should do enough to win at home.
In their first two meetings this season, Harbour View have the upper hand after drawing 1-1 and winning the second game 2-0. If St Georges are to be considered serious title challengers, they must win today’s encounter.
Harbour View will be without goalkeeper Dwayne Miller, the hard-tackling Richard Edwards and Lovel Palmer, who are all on international duty, but should have enough firepower to secure a win.
The same cannot be said of St Georges, who will be without top defender Jermaine Taylor and could be exposed at the back.
Second-placed Tivoli Gardens (42) will be without top strikers Navion Boyd and Keammar Daley, and that could also prove pivotal in their push for victory against ninth-placed August Town, on 25 points.
Without Boyd and Daley, with who have scored 21 of their team’s 36 goals thus far, Tivoli succumbed to Super league outfit Cavaliers in the Claro Jackie Bell Knock-out on Sunday and could find it difficult to break down an August Town team that has conceded just once in their last five games.
Former champions Waterhouse, in third spot on 41 points, should see off 11th-placed Village United (23) and stay in touch with the leaders.
Struggling Portmore United, lying 10th with 23 points, have a mammoth task against a promoted Humble Lions team just above them on 25.
It will pit former national goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers wearing the green and yellow colours against his old club, Portmore United, at Effortville in Clarendon.
Another former champion that is struggling, Arnett Gardens, are at the bottom on 22 points and should be motivated enough to beat sixth-placed Sporting Central, on 28 points.
Meanwhile, Rivoli United, who will be without their top marksman and the league’s leading scorer in Devon Hodges, should have a hard time against fourth-placed Boys’ Town at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.
