Champions Meadows and Monymusk of Clarendon will meet in the feature game of the South Central Super League, with the result likely to play a key role in determining one more semi-final spot.

Meadows and Rivoli, both of St Catherine, secured their semi-final berths early and cannot be upstaged even for topping their preliminary group. However, with two games to complete the preliminary round, maintaining good form is important.

For Monymusk (23 pts) it is a huge opportunity to book their spot from Zone B with three points. Such a result would effectively kill the mathematical chances of nearest rivals Downs (19) and Naggo Head (18).

Ordinarily, it would be fairly easy to predict a positive result for Meadows based on their record of having not lost home or away to Monymusk in the last two years. However, tragedy struck last weekend when their coach Michael Small died, after collapsing in his bathroom at home in Central Village.

Small, who formerly coached at Newlands, was acquired at the start of the season and has helped Meadows put together an unbeaten record. According to Meadows manager Leroy Thompson, the team has been badly shaken by the news. Last week they were granted time to recuperate by the Confed hierarchy, but they must rally quickly with the business end of the competition at hand.

motivational

"The guys took it hard but they have decided not to let it keep them down," Thompson told Star Sports.

"They want to make it a motivational thing as that is what he (Small) would have wanted."

Doen Mullings, the Monymusk coach, is wary of this factor as well and says his team will be their on guard.

"We know they have lost their coach, but that can drive some teams on as they say to themselves let's do it for the coach' and they turn up and play well," he said.

"We are expecting a quality game from them, but having said that we plan to take all three points. We do not want to wait until the final game to secure our semi-final place."

Bodles in Zone A are best positioned to take the next available semi-final spot. However, only one point separates them from other challengers in Newlands (16) and even long-shots Dela Vega United (15). In this regard, defeat is not an option this weekend for this trio.