Traditional rivals clash

Ryon Jones, Star Writer

As teams hunt for vital points in the penultimate round of the Digicel Premier League, two traditional rivals will do battle tomorrow when defending champions Harbour View welcome Waterhouse to the Harbour View Mini Stadium for a 6:30 p.m. encounter.

Harbour View, who lie fifth in the standings on 42 points, have been placing emphasis on their defence, as they seek to peg back leaders Tivoli Gardens (48 points). The 'Stars of the East' are keen on keeping six consecutive clean sheets, to register three wins and an identical number of draws.

"Last year when we won the competition, it is in defence where we were dominant," Harbour View's coach, Donovan Hayles, stated.

"We didn't score the amount of goals as Tivoli, who finished second, but we were able to prevent teams from scoring goals on us, and that enabled us to win games. It is very pleasing to see that we have gone six games in the Premier League without conceding a goal," he added.

defence is up

Harbour View's defensive fortitude will be tested, however, as Waterhouse have found the back of the net on eight occasions in their last three games and are the second-highest scoring team in the league. This is a fact that Hayles is well aware of, but believes his defence is up to the task.

"I know that Waterhouse are a potent attacking force, but I have more confidence in how we defend than they attack," Hayles said.

"We are quite aware of what Waterhouse are capable of doing, but more importantly I am focused on what we need to do," he added

Waterhouse came away 1-0 winners the last time the two teams met, while their opening-round meeting ended in a one-all draw.

"The team is always motivated to play Harbour View, it has over the years been a traditional derby and everyone looks forward to it," Waterhouse's coach, Baris Johnson, pointed out. "Right now we are in a hunt for points. If we want to win the league, this is the round we have to maximise."