FALMOUTH, Trelawny — Former champions Holland United will start slight favourites in Sunday’s finals of the Trelawny Football Association’s Monymusk Plantation Rum Major League against first-time finalists and mid-season champions Rio Bueno FC at the Elleston Wakeland Centre in the second game of a double header.

The teams qualified for the final after the completion of the two-way semi-finals last Sunday. Holland United edged Bunkers Hill So Fresh SC 3-2 after they played out a 1-1 draw in the return leg. Meanwhile, Rio Bueno FC beat Spicy Hill SC 4-2 on penalty kicks after they played to a one-all draw over both legs and extra time.

The losing semi-finalists will meet in the first game, set to start at 1:00pm to decide third place.

In addition to the top prize, Sunday’s winners will be promoted to the Western Confederation Super League.

Rio Bueno FC, who were only promoted from the Division One last season after some clubs were unable to satisfy playing condition — that is fielding a team in the Under 17 competition — will be seeking the double after beating Bunkers Hill So Fresh in the mid-season finals.

They started the season on a high with nine straight wins, but it is Holland United, demoted from the Western Confederation Super League last year, who are ending it the best, as they are unbeaten in nine straight games.

Holland United also won the only meeting between the teams in the league this season, a big 6-1 thrashing in the third round when Rio Bueno FC were in the middle of a three-game losing skid.

After being demoted from the Confederation League, Holland United struggled through their first 10 games, winning just three, drawing three and scoring only 11 goals, while conceding 19.

In their next six games, however, they made up for the slow start, winning all six games, scoring 20 goals and conceding five, the best record by any team, as they roared into the semi-finals.

In comparison, Rio Bueno won just three of their six third-round games and just managed to get the better of Spicy Hill SC, who were in the semi-finals for a fifth consecutive season.

Rio Bueno FC will have the competition’s top scorer Garfield Stewart to lead their attack and the experienced goalkeeper Glenroy Atkins, who came up trumps on Sunday with two big penalty saves — one in regulation time, and the other a spectacular effort in the shootout to save a retaken shot after the referee ruled that he moved too early to deny the first attempt.

If they can maintain the momentum they have built up, Holland United will be hard to beat with their solid defence and attack led by the burly Ronique Haynes, with Hugh-George Watson and Reno Edmondson in support.