Former champions Mount Pleasant FA will get an early opportunity to avenge their only loss of the season today when they host Racing United in a Jamaica Premier League game at Drax Hall at 3:00 pm.

Racing, who are in second place in the table on 28 points, one behind Montego Bay United (MBU), edged Mount Pleasant 1-0 in a rescheduled first round game on December 17.

Also today, MBU hosts Dunbeholden FC at Jarrett Park, with both teams coming off wins against Treasure Beach. Third-placed Portmore United are at home against a revived Phoenix Chapelton Maroons. Defending champions Cavalier are away to Waterhouse and Molynes United take on Treasure Beach in the first game of a double header at Waterhouse Stadium.

Mount Pleasant FC and Racing will feel they have to step up after both played out 0-0 draws in their previous games, against Molynes and Waterhouse, respectively.

It was a third consecutive draw for Racing, who have scored a single goal in the span and come up against a Mount Pleasant team that has conceded seven goals in 12 games and none over their last seven games.

Mount Pleasant will hope Warner Brown and Raheem Edwards, who have combined for nine goals, will be able to produce goals, while Tarique Grant leads Racing with seven goals. Nickyle Ellis has scored four times.

MBU are still seeking their first win at Jarrett Park this season and could find a re-energised Dunbeholden FC a handful after their 4-0 beating of Treasure Beach, almost matching their season’s total of five goals in their previous 11 games.

Dunbeholden FC have only allowed five goals and an impressive nine games with a clean sheet but will face the competition’s most prolific scoring team as MBU have scored 28 goals in their 15 games played.

MBU are coming off a hard fought 2-1 win over Treasure Beach, scoring in the first 22 minutes, but let their guard down and almost paid for it.

Jourdain Fletcher leads the league with nine goals but has not scored since he got a double in a 4-4 draw with Harbour View on December 12. Dwight Merrick and Deonjay Brown were, however, on target last weekend and will hope to continue scoring if they are to beat Dunbeholden a second time this season.

Chapelton have flown up the table with back to back wins and will be looking at a third consecutive win over Portmore United, who have gone winless in four games, since they took over the lead in mid-December but have since fallen to third place.

Chapelton beat Portmore in their final game of the previous season and then outscored them 3-2 in the final game of their three-game winning start to this season.

They are coming off wins over struggling Treasure Beach and Harbour View but face a Portmore team that will have hopes of at least making it to the semi-finals.

Portmore will be eager to end their longest run this season without winning a match, and after coming from behind to lead Tivoli Gardens before giving up a late goal to share points, will hope to take all three points at home.

Cavalier will be hoping to rebound from their 3-0 ambush against Arnett Gardens on Monday when they play away to Waterhouse as they seek to avenge their first round loss.

Cavalier have lost six games already this season, equalling the total from all of last season and have conceded 18 goals already after allowing 22 all of last season.

They will take on a Waterhouse team that have won only once in their last nine games and will have new coach Javier Ainstein on the sidelines for the first time today.

Molynes have turned their poor early form around and are slowly clawing their way off the foot of the table. They are on a five-game unbeaten run, winning three games in the streak.

They are still not out of the woods yet but a win over Treasure Beach today would see them edging closer to midtable safety.

Treasure Beach are in yet another dog-fight to stay in the league. They have lost their last four games by an 8-1 aggregate and have slipped into the relegation zone.

The St Elizabeth-based club will hope the new players they signed since the transfer window opened will give them some stability.

Sunday’s Games

•Portmore United vs Phoenix Chapelton Maroons — Ferdie Neita Sports Complex 3:00 pm

•Molynes United vs Treasure Beach FC — Waterhouse Stadium 3:00 pm

•Montego Bay United vs Dunbeholden FC — Jarrett Park 3:00 pm

•Mount Pleasant FA vs Racing United — Drax Hall 3:00 pm

•Waterhouse FC vs Cavalier SC — Waterhouse Stadium 5:30 pm