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Sports
Football
JDF test for Cavalier
Published: Saturday | December 26, 2009
Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer
An enthralling encounter is expected when leaders Cavalier battle fifth-place Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) in today’s feature Kingston and St Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) Claro Super League matchup at Up Park Camp, starting at 3 p.m.
Cavalier will be looking to maintain their two-point lead atop the standings. They currently have the meanest defence having conceded only six goals, while scoring 20. Their sturdy defence was able to keep out Bull Bay for more than 70 minutes last week after Loxley Thompson had scored a 19th-minute penalty.
Cavalier’s coach, David Lalor, is confident that the approach, which they used in their opening round encounter against the JDF, which saw his team emerging 4-1 winners, will work once more.
"JDF are a hard-running team but Cavalier are a passing team. They are just physical and hard running, so we are just going to let the ball do the work," Lalor said. "That is what we did the last time and it worked well for us and that is what we plan on doing this time around. We have done some more training as it relates to running and some more physical in preparation for this game," he added.
improved performance
JDF will be looking to stay in touch with the leading quartet as they sit seven points off the leaders. The ‘Army men’ have managed only 13 goals while conceding 10 and will be hard pressed to keep the Cavalier strikers quiet. They are also coming off a 1-0 victory, thanks to a seventh-minute strike from their leading goalscorer Alien Whittaker.
Five of JDF’s key players who were away studying will be back for tomorrow’s game and their coach Owen Nelson is hoping this will mean an improved performance.
"This is our first match since we got back all our players, so we are trying to improve on our performance," Nelson said. "The only concern is our concentration over the 90 minutes. The guys know what to do, it is for them to go out there and do it," he added.
In other matches, second-place Rae Town (25) will travel to the Michigan Field to tackle second-from-bottom Meadhaven United (6). Third-place Santos (25) will be looking to get back to winning ways when they entertain Duhaney Park (7) at the Bell Chung Stadium. Santos had their wining streak interrupted last week when they were beaten 3-2 by Mountain View. Buttercup Park will be the venue for the clash between eighth-place Real Mona (14) and fourth-place Constant Spring (21). The bottom-place team, Maverley/Hughenden (4), will host sixth-place Mountain View (19) at the Maverley Field while seventh-place Barbican (15) will enter the Bull Pen to tackle ninth-place Bull Bay (10).
All matches are slated to get under way at 3 p.m.
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