Portmore, Arnett stalemate gives coaches playoff insights
Published:Thursday | April 4, 2024 | 12:12 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
SUNDAY’S JAMAICA Premier League (JPL) fixture between traditional heavyweights Arnett Gardens and Portmore United, which ended 1-1, was a precursor to the JPL quarterfinal between the pair.
As a result of the draw, Portmore will finish fourth and Arnett fifth, both on 46 points, five behind third-place Cavalier and six in front of Waterhouse and Montego Bay United in sixth and seventh, respectively.
Although Arnett coach Xavier Gilbert was keen to see his team take all three points and gain the psychological advantage going into their playoff tie, he noted that it is what a team does on the day that really matters.
“We will meet each other in the playoffs, and we really wanted to get the win,” Gilbert told The Gleaner.
“Both teams will learn about each other going into the playoffs. We will have to fix some things. They need to fix some things and work on some areas we think we need to exploit.
“So both coaches are going to be doing the same thing. So it’s who makes the least mistakes and capitalises on their opponent’s mistakes.
“It would be good to have the confidence of beating the opponent. But that wouldn’t matter. It is what you do on the day in the playoffs.”
He added that their last game against Treasure Beach would matter very little as it would not affect their position in the table and that getting his players recovered and refreshed for the playoffs was the main objective.
“We want to help our players recover and just manage them well. It is going to be critical heading down the stretch because the (playoff) games are going to be weekends, midweek.
“So we have to make sure our players recover well as it has been a long season and we need them to peak and be fresh,” he commented.
Portmore coach Phillip Williams said the weekend fixture gave him some insights into what they need to do to win the tie.
He thought his team carried out the game plan perfectly for 20 minutes but allowed the home team to gather momentum and eventually equalised. But he is confident they know what needs to be done.
“The match-up is Arnett Gardens, Portmore in the quarterfinal, and we are looking forward to that match. The first half (Sunday) was what we had planned. We had control of the game and scored.
“Arnett is a team that play off momentum, with quality players. So we definitely have to look at doing that (controlling the game) much longer in the playoffs. So it will be a matter of us controlling that game and the pace at which it is played,” said Williams.
However, like Gilbert, he is looking to get his players rejuvenated and ready for the playoffs.
“We don’t have the luxury of a deep squad. It is about rotating those we have and look to go into the playoffs with players who are fresh and injury free.”