Leaders Montego Bay United (MBU) will put their unbeaten record on the line when they host Arnett Gardens in a Jamaica Premier League first-round game at Jarrett Park, with kick-off at 3:30 pm.
MBU have won four of their first five games and lead the points table with 13 points, ahead of Racing United on 12 points and Waterhouse on 11. The latter two teams will meet at Stadium East on Monday night.
Arnett Gardens are ninth with four points from four games but are coming off a hard-fought 1-1 draw with defending champions Portmore United.
Also today, fourth-placed Tivoli Gardens will host Dunbeholden FC at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex, while fifth-placed Tru-Juice will welcome bottom-placed Humble Lion to the Bramwell Clarke Complex in Linstead. Chapelton Maroons will host Treasure Beach at the Drax Hall complex.
MBU and Arnett Gardens have each won once in their last three meetings, both by 1-0 scorelines, with the other game ending 1-1. Goals could again be hard to come by, despite MBU coming off a 3-1 win over Cavalier FC, their highest goal tally in a game this season.
Even with last season’s top scorer Jourdain Fletcher being forced off early in the second half with a leg injury, MBU still managed to score three goals against Cavalier. Deonjay Brown, Dwight Merrick, and Richardo Ramsey were all on target, suggesting that new coach Javier Ainstein’s tactics may be starting to come together.
Arnett Gardens have shown some defensive frailty, conceding seven goals in their four games, but will hope that Jamone Shepherd, with three goals so far, and Giovanni Taylor, with two, can lead them to victory.
Tivoli Gardens will be hoping to rebound from their first loss of the season when they face a Dunbeholden team coming off its first win, which ended a fourgame losing skid. Tivoli were outscored 4-3 by Racing United last weekend
Montego Bay United (MBU) midfielder Dwight Merrick (right) dribbles away from Dunbeholden FC’s Tyrese Gowe in their Jamaica Premier League game at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, St James, on Sunday, October 4. MBU won the game 1-0.
but will be looking to return to winning ways against a Dunbeholden team that has scored just two goals in five games.
Veteran Leaunghn Williams has been a valuable addition to the Tivoli team, scoring three goals so far, while Steve Clarke has scored two. Both will be expected to trouble the Dunbeholden defence.
Tru-Juice have not won in their last two outings, but should start favourites to take all three points against struggling Humble Lion.
Humble Lion will take some confidence from back-to-back draws heading into the game, having conceded just one goal after giving up 12 in their first three matches, all losses.
Tru-Juice could still be ruing last Monday’s draw against Waterhouse when they led from the 26th minute before conceding a goal deep into added time, albeit from a spectacular free kick by Mario Simms.
Daniel Roberts leads Tru-Juice with three goals, while Rodave Murray has two but has not scored since the opening game when they ambushed Mount Pleasant FA.
Chapelton Maroons have never lost to Treasure Beach and will be looking to secure a fourth-consecutive win over their opponents, which could move them into the top six.
Chapelton have struggled, however, failing to score in their last two games and managing just three goals all season.
Treasure Beach are still searching for their first win of the season, having drawn two of their first four games, and will be looking to pull off a surprise victory.