THE stage is set for what could be two epic return-leg semi-finals for places in the final of the Jamaica Premier League when the play-offs continue today at Sabina Park.

Mount Pleasant will be seeking a third-straight qualification to the final when they take a 1-0 lead into their game against Montego Bay United (MBU), in the first game set to start at 5:00 pm, while defending champions Cavalier and Arnett Gardens will have it all to do after battling out a 1-1 stalemate in the first leg played at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Thursday.

In addition to a place in the final there is more at stake as the semi-final winners will also book spots in the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup which kicks off in August.

There was little to separate the teams in both games on Thursday, and it is expected that with so much at stake today the approach will be more cautious than usual. But with the exception of Mount Pleasant who have their noses ahead, the other teams must include plans to go after goals — the earlier the better.

If MBU, who missed the play-offs last year on goal difference, are to get back to the final they will have to win by two goals, beating Mount Pleasant for the first time in the last two seasons.

Despite losing on Thursday the MBU coaching staff was upbeat, with Head Coach Paul Davis stating bluntly, “We can beat them.”

What has given Davis and his staff optimism is that they were able to prevent Mount Pleasant from playing their game.

“When we possess the ball and play it around and not give it away, we controlled the game,” Davis said on Thursday.

MBU had more possession in the second half but failed to convert on any of their chances, scoring only once in their four meetings with Mount Pleasant this season during a 1-1 draw in the second round in Montego Bay when the St Ann team played most of the game with 10 players.

Davis does not lack firepower, with three players who have scored in double figures in the regular season, but only two (Jourdain Fletcher and Brian Brown) will be available as Shaniel Thomas is out with an injury he picked up in the first leg of the quarter-finals against Tivoli Gardens.

On Thursday, Mount Pleasant’s Head Coach Theodore Whitmore was pleased with his defence that had given up just 21 goals in 38 games in the regular season, and he will hope for one more good game from them today.

Mount Pleasant will be favourites in some quarters after steamrolling their way across the first three rounds and scoring 94 goals — 20 more than the next best team — and Whitmore will have five players who have scored in double digits to call on to lead the way.

Interestingly, Mount Pleasant’s goal on Thursday came from Clifford Thomas who was scoring his first goal of the season, taking advantage of a goalkeeper error in the first half.

Both Cavalier’s Rudolph Speid and Arnett’s Xavier Gilbert were unhappy with their teams’ performance on Thursday, and both have pledged to make amends today.

Speid told the Sunday Observer his players need to share the ball more, citing “selfishness in front of goal” as the reason they had not scored more than one goal in the game.