Garden party takes on new meaning

FOR THE first time in his Jamaica Premier League (JPL) coaching career, Jerome Waite will be sitting on the Tivoli Gardens bench in the clash against perennial rivals Arnett Gardens when the teams meet at the Anthony Spaulding Complex this evening at 6.

Over the last three seasons, Tivoli have registered just one win over their fierce rivals, with Arnett picking up four successive wins since a defeat in the 2021 season.

However, Waite said his Tivoli team has a different mentality to teams of the recent past and he expects a good match.

“It will be a tough game. It is a game that will be played in Arnett’s backyard and it is not going to be an easy game because over the years these teams have a strong rivalry. So we are expecting a tough and competitive game,” he said.

“But it will not be like previous seasons or even last season when the team struggled tremendously.

“It is definitely a new mentality and a new approach in how they apply themselves.

“So this time around it will be a different ball game and the players know what they have and what they have to do to stay competitive,” said Waite, who has won three premier league titles with Arnett Gardens.

Tivoli coach Xavier Gilbert is not only new to this derby, he is new to the league altogether, but knows what to expect from this matchup.

He also believes that Waite’s return to Arnett, in the opposite dugout for the first time, will be a major factor in the game.

“You know the history of Jerome winning multiple titles at Arnett and being the most successful coach at Arnett. So him coming up against Arnett, he’ll definitely want to take this one.

“The supporters will support their team and their team is Arnett. I know they love Jerome but they want their team to do well,” he said.

Arnett are third in the table with five points after two draws and a win from three games. While Tivoli are seventh after a win and a loss from two matches and Gilbert knows his opponent will be eager to returning to winning ways.

“They got off to a good start but had a slump in the last game and we want to ensure that they do not rebound against us. They are still a good team, but we just want to put ourselves in good stead for the first five games, that will set the tone for the league and give us good momentum going forward.

“This derby has a history of good football and we want to keep it that way. Hopefully, we will be on the positive side of getting three points and move up the table,” he said.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

Today’s Games

Vere vs MoBay Utd at Wembley

Dubeholden vs Portmore at Ferdie Neita

Treasure Beach vs Lime Hall at STETHS

Molynes vs Mt Pleasant at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

Arnett vs Tivoli at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex (5:30 p.m.)

NB: All games begin at 3:00 p.m. unless otherwise stated