Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
WADADAH DEFEND a one-goal advantage this afternoon when they meet arch-rivals Negril in the second leg of the Captain's Bakery Western Super League finals at Jarrett Park at 4:00 p.m.
While the Captain's Bakery Trophy and the $150,000 purse might have been of paramount interest under different circumstances, in this game, the main prize will be qualification to play in the 2008-09 National Premier League (NPL) elimination tournament which will yield two qualifiers to the 'big league'.
Having defeated Negril in the first game on their home turf in Westmoreland, the Wadadah team, which is anxious to return to top-flight football following its relegation from the NPL two seasons ago, is now bubbling with confidence as it seeks to close the deal.
"We are confident and ready to complete the task and move on," said Wadadah's coach, Delroy 'Pencil' Delisser. "The plan is to stay focused and not allow complacency to creep into our game."
Uncertain start
After a somewhat uncertain start to the season, Wadadah began to blossom towards the end and were in full bloom in the semi-final when they came up against defending champions Granville.
After a 0-0 first leg draw, they battled to 2-2 second-leg stalemate before grabbing victory 4-3 on penalties.
For their part, Negril have contested the past two finals, winning one and losing the other. With another good season under their belt, including coming back from a 2-0 first-leg semi-final loss to Salt Spring to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate, they have good reasons to be confident of upstaging Wadadah.
"We came back after losing the first semi-final game against Salt Spring and we believe we can do the same thing against Wadadah," said Negril's top striker, Howard Phillips. "Our only plan for this game is to come out winners."
In their bid for victory, the Wadadah team will be banking on the likes of Mark Williams, Raphael Palmer, the wily Curtis Palmer and Rohan Reid, who scored the lone goal in the first leg of the final. For their part, Negril will be placing their hopes in the likes of Phillips, Rohan Campbell and Oshane Hill.
