Home stretch for major league contenders
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — The race for places in the South Central Confederation Super League play-off is on in earnest, with three leading contenders from the mid-island parishes of Clarendon, Manchester and St Elizabeth living up to expectation as their respective Major League competitions head into the home stretch.
Eight teams, the top two from the Confederation’s four football associations — Clarendon, Manchester, St Elizabeth and St Catherine — will contest the play-off, which is tentatively set to kick-off on the weekend of April 9.
This play-off series is a condensed version of the traditional Super League competition which was shelved three seasons ago due to what the Confed said was lack of sustained sponsorship.
The winner of the series will represent South Central in the National Premier League play-off.
Portmore United, now campaigning in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL), won last season’s competition ahead of Jamalco FC.
Incidentally, Jamalco, who had won the competition the previous season (but missed out on Premier League qualification on goal difference), are again among the favourites for this year’s title.
Unbeaten after six games, they are already through to the quarter-finals of the Clarendon FA/Captain’s Bakery Major League with two games to spare and need only a point to top Zone B. Late Friday they had 16 points after winning five and drawing one, while scoring a league-best 18 goals and conceding one.
Jamalco’s main challenge in Clarendon is expected to come from relegated RSPL outfit Sporting Central Academy who also led their group up to the start of the weekend.
Like Jamalco, defending champions Hillstars FC are also setting the pace in the Manchester FA/Magnum/Captain’s Bakery Major League. Apart from losing the Brumalia House Knockout title to Ricam Academy, they are having a wonderful season.
Hillstars, top of Zone One with 29 points, are the first team to qualify for the semi-finals, doing so with four games still to be played in the preliminary round. Former champions Mile Gully, nine points back in second place, are expected to join them in the semis.
Downs FC (28) and Ricam (27) lead the charge from Zone Two, but face stiff competition from Alligator Pond who have 23 points.
Further south, the Black River-based Black Star FC appear to be St Elizabeth’s best hope of mounting a whale of a Premier League campaign. They ended the first round as mid-season champions, beating Real Treasure Beach FC 5-4 on penalties, following a 1-1 stalemate in the end-of-round final played recently at the St Elizabeth Technical High School.
Black Star lead the 10-team competition on 22 points after nine games, winning seven, drawing one and losing the other. Real Treasure Beach are second on 18 points, followed by St Bess FC (16) in third and defending champions Appleton Estates FC (14) in fourth.