Nodley Wright, Freelance Writer 
Jamaica's Sunshine Girls were all smiles yesterday before departing for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The netballers are strongly tipped to medal at the event. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer
TODAY'S SEVENTH series of matches in the third round of the Wray and Nephew National Premier League will see all but one of the six matches being played in Kingston and St Andrew and Portmore.
The remaining match will be played at Elleston Wakeland Centre and appears to be a must-see for lovers of football in western Jamaica.
With frontrunners Harbour View and Waterhouse, who play Reno and Seba respectively, in apparent mismatches, the more interesting games will involve the second-tier teams. Third-placed Tivoli Gardens will journey to Portmore to meet fifth-placed Portmore United in a 3:00 p.m. encounter. Portmore United, recently knocked out of the CONCACAF Club Championships by Mexican powerhouse Club America, are full of talented players and on their day can outclass any team in the competition.
TG WITHOUT TWO KEY PLAYERS
Tivoli Gardens are also not too bad on the depth chart, but will be without at least two of their better players in Jermaine Johnson and Christopher Nicholas, due to injuries. Fabian Davis, Steve Green, Christopher Jackson and Kasai Hinds are quality NPL players, but they will have to be in top form to top the likes of Onandi Lowe, Kevin Deerr, Omar Daley, Anthony Bennett, Jason Morrison and the Wolfe brothers of Portmore.
Boys' Town did not start the season with a lot of big names in their team, nor did any come through the transfer window at the turn of the new year but they have managed to compete with the best and push themselves up to mid-table with visions of going even further. That they have done so is testament to their industry and self belief.
They will have a big test of it today when they play Village United at Elleston Wakeland Centre, Trelawny, in their first match outside of the Corporate Area for the third round.
"It should be a very tough match and there appears to be a rivalry building up between the two teams. In the first game of the season we played them at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex and they led us 2-0 until we equalised in stoppage time," said Village coach Dr Dean Weatherly.
"The second game we won 1-0, so this, the third one, should be no less interesting and competitive," Weatherly said.
He added that the aim for this game would be the same as it has been for the entire round, that of "keeping the teams behind us behind us and trying to get as close to the top as possible".
Boys' Town have had some good results of late and this, according to Weatherly, sets the stage for a good good match. One which western Jamaica should turn out to see.
"We are counting on that support to give us the advantage," said the Village coach who will be looking to the competition's joint leading scorer, Fabian Dawkins, to continue the fruitful partnership established with Liberian forward Edmund Kingston and Cornwall College schoolboy Edward Campbell.
Like Village, Boys' Town have ambitions of finishing in the top four, said advisor Lloyd 'Respic' Morgan.
"We need to get into the top four and for us to do that we have to do well against the teams that are ahead of us. Village are ahead of us and are playing well so this one should be a big game," said the man who represented the community at football and cricket.
The fact that Village United are ahead of Boys' Town in the standings, Morgan said, was not a worry to his team as it plays better against the better teams.
Playing away from home too is something that does not intimidate them, Morgan added.
"Playing away will always be tougher than playing at home but it is all about the challenge and we are going to rise to it," said Morgan, adding that his club will field strong team.
Expected to be in the lineup are George Vernal, the scorer of some vital goals, captain Fitzroy Anglin, Fabian Watkins and the talented Oneil Thompson.
In other games, Arnett Gardens should get the better of Rivoli United, who now seem to be relegation certainties, while Wadadah, despite playing away from home, should stop Constant Spring and push them closer to relegation.
STANDINGS
P W D L GF GA GD Pts
Harbour View 27 18 4 5 44 20 24 58
Waterhouse 28 16 8 4 47 29 28 56
Tivoli Gardens 28 14 6 9 46 34 12 45
Village United 28 12 8 8 45 35 10 44
Portmore United 26 10 12 4 36 24 12 42
Boys' Town 28 9 11 8 30 28 2 38
Seba United 28 9 7 12 36 38 -2 34
Arnett Gardens 28 8 8 12 32 39 -7 31
Wadadah 28 7 8 13 31 46 -15 29
Reno 28 6 9 13 20 30 -10 27
Constant Spring 27 3 13 11 22 40 -20 22
Rivoli United 28 2 12 14 21 47 -26 18
TODAY'S GAMES
Arnett Gardens vs Rivoli United at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex - 5:00 p.m.
Waterhouse vs Seba United at Waterhouse Stadium - 6:00 p.m.
Harbour View vs Reno at Harbour View Stadium - 6:30 p.m.
Constant Spring vs Wadadah at Constant Spring - 3:00 p.m.
Tivoli Gardens vs Portmore United at Edward Seaga Stadium - 5:00 p.m.
Village United vs Boys' Town at Elleston Wakeland Centre - 3:00 p.m.
