Rae Town's goalkeeper Navardo Brooks (on ground) catches the ball ahead of Mountain View's Jahmiah Pettigrew (No. 6), while his teammate Jodiane Redwood leaps to avoid a collision during their Claro/KSAFA Super League football match at Excelsior High School last Saturday. Rae Town won 1-0. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer.
A pulsating encounter is expected when Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) march to Bell/Chung Stadium to do battle with Santos in today's feature match of the Claro Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Super League, starting at 3 p.m.
When the two teams met earlier this season in the sixth round of the competition, the JDF came away 1-0 winners courtesy of a 45th-minute strike from Garvey Simms.
With six rounds of games remaining in the season, Santos lie third on 31 points, six off leaders Cavalier (37).
Last week Santos secured the biggest margin of victory, a 4-1 triumph over Bull Bay. They will need to maintain this momentum throughout the remainder of the season to maintain their outside chance of lifting the title.
Santos' coach Carlton Dennis intends to take maximum points from the encounter.
Dennis said: "We have to take the three points from JDF to really keep our title hopes alive. We learned from our first meeting with them (JDF) and we saw where we made the mistake and we don't see where we will make the same mistake again. It is a different Santos team they are going to see on Saturday (today)."
hard pressed
The JDF currently occupy fifth spot on 28 points and will be hard pressed to overhaul the leaders. They registered a 1-0 victory over Real Mona last week, stretching their unbeaten streak to six games. They will, however, be without their two main strikers - Garvey Simms and Robert Wright - who have scored eight goals between them. Both are injured.
Owen Nelson, coach of the JDF, says his team is psyched up for the game and expects his players to prove themselves.
"We haven't lost any game in the second round and that will act as a motivation for us," said Nelson. "We and Santos over the years have had some keen competition; we are always psyched up to play Santos. The guys who we intend to use tomorrow are psyched up and ready to prove themselves," he added.
Cavalier lead the standings with 37 points, followed by Rae Town (35), Santos (31), Mountain View (28), JDF (28), Constant Spring (24), Real Mona (21), Barbican (19), Bull Bay (12), Duhaney Park (10), Meadhaven United (six) and Maverley-Hughenden (four).
Games on:
Constant Spring vs Cavalier at The Spring Complex
Rae Town vs Duhaney Park at Breezy Castle
Santos vs JDF at Bell/Chung Stadium
Real Mona vs Mountain View United at Buttercup Park
Meadhaven United vs Barbican at Michigan Field
Maverley/Hughenden vs Bull Bay at Maverley
All games are slated to begin at 3 p.m.