St Ann arch-rivals Mount Pleasant FC and Priory Academy will kick off the Magnum Eastern Confederation Super League semi-final play-offs at Drax Hall, St Ann, today beginning at 3:00 pm.

The second semi-final will match Portland’s St George’s United against St Mary’s Albion Mountain at Lynch Park in Buff Bay, Portland, tomorrow, beginning at 3:00 pm.

Today’s showdown promises to be fiercely competitive as it brings together the “Garden Parish’s” two mega teams.

“The players are always up for a good game against Mount Pleasant. Priory and Mount Pleasant are the two big teams from the parish, so I know there will be a bumper crowd at Drax Hall,” observed Santanio Miller, who shares coaching and management responsibilities at Priory Academy with former Arnett Gardens and Waterhouse striker Kirk Ramsey, Theresa Grant and Steve Grandison.

They played each other three times this season and each team registered one win apiece. Priory Academy won 1-0, while Mount Pleasant recorded an emphatic 4-1 win. The other contest ended goalless.

Those results assisted Mount Pleasant, who are coached by former top national goalscorer, Paul “Tegat” Davis, in topping Group Two of the preliminary round with 22 points, seven ahead of Portland’s St George’s United, with St Mary’s Gray’s Inn third on 12 points and St Thomas’ York United fourth on 11 points.

Priory Academy ended equal with the most points, 15, alongside St Mary’s Albion Mountain in Group One, but the latter had a superior goal difference of plus four, in comparison to Priory’s minus three.

However, those statistics will count for naught in this big fight to win the round robin play-offs and overall Eastern Confederation honours, which will ultimately launch the champion into the race for the all-island play-offs.

Miller said: “The players are looking forward; they’re very motivated. Even though we’ve been in the premier league play-offs for three seasons, that last hurdle has been giving us a fight.

“We’re trying to take each moment, each game, one at a time — instead of thinking about all those games down the road. I am pretty positive for tomorrow,” he added.

Priory, who are captained by Maurice Mitchell, will look mainly to Vashan McBean, Rushane Henry, Everton Marsh and Romaine Roberts for goals.

Miller added that this will not be easy as their opponents are well-organised.

“It’s a very good team with very good organisation,” he admitted.