Cavalier stand in the way of Arnett’s third victory on the trot
Published:Sunday | February 12, 2023 | 1:31 AMLivingston Scott - Gleaner Writer
THE JAMAICA Premier League (JPL) fixture between second-place Cavalier and third-place Arnett Gardens take centre stage at the Anthony Spaulding Complex on Sunday at 5.30 p.m.
Arnett, for the third time this season, are on back-to-back wins but, so far, have failed to win three successive games this season.
Assistant coach Eric Rademaker said the team will come into this contest very focused on breaking that jinx.
“I like the focus of the team. In the past every time we get good momentum going, we lose focus. So I am a bit happy that this week we didn’t feel a certain high, in the sense that we got two wins in a row. There is really a lot of focus for this match,” he said.
Cavalier sit in second with 26 points, six behind leaders Mount Pleasant and two ahead of Arnett.
Cavalier have been one of the really difficult teams for the Junglists over the last two years, but the Dutchman believes their mindset can make the difference to Sunday’s outcome.
“Cavalier have been a challenge for us, even though we beat them earlier in the season. It is a fixture that brings out that extra focus.
“So we are not looking to say we won two in a row, let’s go a streak or anything. We are just focused on Cavalier, one match, 90 minutes and see if we can take that second spot.”
Arnett turned back Cavalier 2-1 in their first-round meeting but Rademakers believes his team has grown since then.
“The team is coming together, understanding what we want and putting it on the field.
“The more understanding we get from them, the more they can help each other through the match. So it is crucial for us to work on keeping 90 minutes [of] focus,” he added.
Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid would have preferred not to play his opponents twice at their home but he also believes his side has progressed since the two last met.
TEAM IN A BETTER PLACE
“They beat us in the first round but we were having the better of play and we got a red card and lost the game with the last kick of the match.
“But we are in a better place now compared to when we played them and they have also improved a lot,” he noted.
Despite sitting second in the table, Cavalier have won just once in their last five matches but Speid is expecting his team to be better than they were in the first round and keep the pressure on leaders, Mount Pleasant.
“We want to overturn the form book because we haven’t done so well in the last four games.
“The (Arnett) coach has declared that he is eyeing second spot. It is significant because Mount Pleasant is the leader and everyone wants to keep on winning, so they can stay close to them.
“So it is important for both teams to give a good performance but it is also important to keep the pressure on Mount Pleasant,” said Speid.