Harbour View striker Kavin Bryan and Boys' Town defender Fabian Watkins (right) will no doubt clash in the Western Union/KSAFA Jackie Bell KO final later. -Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Howard Walker, Staff Reporter

Defending champions Boys' Town put their Western Union/KSAFA Jackie Bell title on the line tonight when they tackle Harbour View in the final at the National Stadium at 7:00 p.m.

Boys' Town, winners on one occasion, will have their hands full in denying Harbour View from gaining their third lien on the cup.

The Western Union/KSAFA Jackie Bell KO is in its 18th season, having started in 1987 in honour of the late football icon, Winthorpe 'Jackie' Bell, who died in a car accident along with Dennis Zaidie while attending the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico.

Both Boys' Town and Harbour View are confident of lifting the trophy and the major cash prize of $350,000.

Boys' Town assistant coach, Perry Bartley, who is standing in for Andrew Price who is overseas, said his team is raring to go.

Players ready

"Mentally the players are ready and no doubt about the physical condition, that is there also. We are just waiting on tomorrow," said Bartley.

Boys' Town, with only one player in the national set-up in Xavean Virgo, compared to the six Harbour View have in Jermaine Taylor, Donald Stewart, Oneil Smith, Lovel Palmer, Kavin Bryan and Fabian Taylor, are not perturbed.

"The Harbour View team is a very good team because they have people presently in the Jamaica programme and they will be coming good. But the team that is considered underachievers normally step up to the plate and play and this Boys' Town (team) really going to carry the fight tomorrow," noted Bartley.

Boys' Town will be looking to the likes of captain Michael Campbell, George Vernal, Denzil Watson, Fabian Watkins, Omar Campbell, Marvin Morgan, Alberto Fray, Virgo, Troy Dawes, Garfield Gillespie and Daemon Benjamin to thwart the Harbour View challenge.

Meanwhile, Harbour View's coach, Lenworth Hyde, himself a former Boys' Town midfield general, is equally confident but knows he is in for a difficult game.

"We are confident but we don't want to be too confident. The players know that it will be tough out there so we just have to work and fight as hard as any other game," said Hyde.

He added: "This is a final and Boys' Town always bring a strength of intensity, high-quality football to the fore. But we are ready for it."

In two previous meeting this season, both teams played to a 1-1 finish first in November, with Harbour View winning the second encounter 3-2 in February.

Harbour View, winners in 1996 and 2000, are expected to secure their third title with the depth of their squad.

They have the most lethal strike force in the country in Bryan and Taylor; arguably the best central midfield pairing of Stewart and Richard Edwards; and a solid defence led by Jermaine Taylor, Oneil Smith, Christopher Harvey and Robert Scarlett.

However, in a final anything goes and with Boys' Town and Harbour View having a history of some epic finals before, today should be no different.

Sendcomments to howard.walker@gleanerjm.com