MONTEGO BAY, St James — Reggae Youths need only a point in today’s return game against Cambridge FC at the UDC Field to secure their place in the semi-finals of the St James Football Association/Sandals Resorts International Major League.

If Reggae Youths do so, they will join early qualifiers Flankers FC.

This will be their second attempt to qualify after they were checked in their last game, losing 0-2 to Flankers FC. It was Reggae Youths’ first loss of the season, and they will hope to rebound against Cambridge FC who are unbeaten since the start of the second round.

Flankers FC secured their place in the semi-finals after mauling Montego Bay Boys Club 12-0 in their return game at UDC Field on Saturday. That win sent them top of the table with 23 points from 11 games, one point more than Reggae Youths who have played two games fewer. They are followed by Lilliput Rovers, Granville United and Cambridge FC, who are all tied on 16 points.

Reggae Youths are still in control of their fate and are expected to top the table at the end of the preliminary rounds. But they have endured a dip in form since the start of the second round, drawing with Granville United and losing to Flankers.

The Loren Sailsman-coached team had beaten Cambridge FC 2-0 in the first round, but was later awarded a 3-0 win after Cambridge were penalised for using an ineligible player in that game.

Reggae Youths, however, will be without Chadane Blagrove and Nicholas Williams who were both sent off in their loss to Flankers FC last month. But they are expected to have the services of Thomas Scott, their top scorer with five goals, plus Sachin Wilmott and Oliseh Haye.

Cambridge are on a roll of their own, winning two and drawing their other game since the start of the second round. They have scored seven of their season’s tally of 14 goals in the process.

The south St James-based club will hope the trio of Romeo Grant, Romario Lewis and Rajay Sinclair will rise to the occasion today.