Photo: Portmore United head coach Ricardo Gardener will be hoping that his team can rebound from the shock one-nil loss to Vere United on match day two and climb to the top of the premier league with a win over Molynes United today.
Portmore United will be hoping to continue their dominance and claim all three points when they host Molynes United in the Jamaica Premier League today.
The two teams have always been embroiled in feisty but entertaining encounters with different intentions. Defending champions Portmore United’s quest is to retain their title, while Molynes United ambition is to be a staple in the league and make life as difficult as possible for Portmore United.
Portmore United head into this fixture from the backend of a shock one-nil defeat to Vere United. Molynes United on the other hand sit in 8th position on one point from as many games and desperate for points.
Molynes United were promoted to the National Premier League in 2019 and started off looking promising. However, they struggled to find goals in the latter stages of the competition, of such they found themselves rooted at the cellar of the table before the league was called off.
An urgent improvement of the team’s performance is prominent on Coach Calvert Fitzgerald’s mind. He has recruited a few new faces (locally) to mix with the seasoned campaigners of former Cavalier SC Duo of Jeremy and Nicholas Nelson, Kemar Seivwright, Rashawn Livingston and the fearless veteran Devon Hodges.
In their first game against Vere United, they had a brilliant second half and should have walked away with all three points, but Livingston and Jeremy Nelson were unfortunate to hit the post and the side netting from two glorious opportunities.
For a quick turn around of fortunes, Fitzgerald may need to change his usual four at the back to a back three to get more players forward and to provide more support in the midfield. Jeremy Nelson, Fakibi Farquharson and Malik Cocking are expected to be handed minutes at the back, while Kemar Seivwright, Damion Thomas, Keith Wright, Sergini Frankson, Tyrique Wilson in midfield and Tyrick Sutherland, Rushawn Livingston to provide the goals.
Former Bolton Wanderers mainstay, now head coach of Portmore United Ricardo ‘Bibi’ Gardener, is on course to cement his name in Jamaica’s folklore of coaches. In a bid to do so he needs to get a run of wins under his belt which will pave the pathway to the finals of this year’s competition.
Portmore United has beaten Molynes United 2-0, 2-0 and 3-0 in their last three meetings and are hoping to register a fourth straight defeat to the Kingston-base team.
Portmore United has lost two players, Javon East and Sue-Lae McCalla who were integral players in their dominance in the league. Despite going down 1-0 to Vere, Portmore United created numerous chances and coach Gardener is expected to field the same outfit of Damano Solomon, Alvinus Myers, Emilio Rousseau, Tajay Brown, at the back Seigle Knight, Ricardo Morris, Demario Phillips, Raffique Bryan in the middle of the park with the strike pair of Nicholas McArthur and Omar Reid.
A win for Portmore United will put them top of the table, if only temporarily, while a win for Molynes will put them in the thick of things, after they rested on match week two.
In a shortened season – due to the coronavirus pandemic – much is still at stake and the fans can expect a treat from this one.
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