Naggo Head, Newlands could clinch semi-final berths
NAGGO HEAD, St Catherine — Former champions Naggo Head will confirm their place in the semi-finals of the South Central Confederation Super League should they beat Original Hazard at Naggo Head today and Tru-Juice fail to win against Wood Hall tomorrow.
Naggo Head are two points clear atop Group A on 24, having thrashed Tru-Juice 3-0 in the top-of-the-table clash last week Saturday at home and could possibly secure one the two semi-final spots from the group with a win this weekend.
Their early qualification will, however, depend on the outcome of the Tru-Juice/Wood Hall encounter, which will be played tomorrow at Bybrook Oval.
If Tru-Juice, who share second place in the group with Downs on 22 points, fail to win and Naggo Head win — then the latter would take an unassailable four-point lead at the top and qualify for the semis with one game to go.
Naggo Head are overwhelming favourites to get past relegation-strugglers Original Hazard (10 points), despite ending 1-1 the last time they met.
Naggo Head, a former Premier League outfit, have only lost once in their last 10 games (0-2 to Meadows) and are on a three-game winning streak — in comparison to Hazard’s record of five defeats, two wins and three draws in their last 10 outings.
At Bybrook tomorrow, Tru-Juice should stay within touching distance of Naggo Head when they go up against Wood Hall (six points), who were relegated at the weekend following their 1-2 defeat at Downs.
Over in Group B, three teams — Newlands (20 points), Bodles (19 points) and Monymusk FC (17 points) are also locked in a fierce battle to join early qualifiers and group winners Meadows (30 points) in the last-four.
Two of those teams, Newlands and Bodles will meet today at Bodles in a match-up that could make or break either’s semi-final bid.
For Bodles, this will be their last game of the round which means they are in a must-win situation if they are to have any chance of making the last four.
The win would take them to 22 points, but they would then have hope that Newlands and Monymusk FC draw or lose their remaining games.
Newlands, on the other hand, seem to have the easier passage of the three teams, as a win for them today and a lost for Monymusk tomorrow will see them clinching the final spot in the group.
Monymusk will have their hands full when they go up against the dangerous Meadows FC at the Monymusk Sports Club tomorrow.
Meadows, who are the only unbeaten team in the competition so far, qualified for the semi-finals three rounds ago and will be granted Monymusk, whom they beat 1-0 in the first round, no favours.
Meanwhile, all Super League games which will start at 3:00 pm will be preceded by an Under-20 fixture at 1:00 pm.
The Downs/Tafari Lions encounter, which was scheduled for the Lacovia Community Centre tomorrow, was postponed until next Wednesday.