Racing, Tivoli seek important wins at Stadium East

THE WRAY and Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Premier League (JPL) returns today for match week eight action with a doubleheader at Stadium East as Harbour View FC welcomes Racing United at 3 p.m. while Tivoli Gardens takes on defending champions Cavalier FC at 5:30.

Capturing all three points will be especially important to Tivoli and Racing, as the two teams have not had the best starts to the season. Both are tied on five points from their opening six games.

Tivoli hold the advantage, however, with a better goal difference as they sit 12th in the table, while Racing are just inside the relegation zone in 13th.

Racing will be hoping they can turn their season around against Harbour View after coming off a tightly contested 1-1 draw with Vere Phoenix United in their last outing.

The St Catherine-based team has only won once this season, and will be looking to better that record in the JPL.

Leading the line for Racing will be Ranaldo Biggs, who made his return to the club this season after a three-year stint in Slovenia.

He bagged his first goal of the season against Vere Phoenix last week, and will be looking to add to his tally.

“We have big expectations but it is just that we need to finish our chances, myself and my teammates, and I think we’ll do good,” he said after scoring last week.

Their opponents, Harbour View, boast a slightly better record this season, as they sit 10th on seven points.

Harbour View will be looking for their third win of the season as they seek to climb up the table and contend for a play-off spot.

They are still shaking off the ghosts of the past after their disappointing 12th-place finish last year, and have slumped to a three-game losing streak after defeats to Portmore United, Waterhouse FC, and Dunbeholden.

In the second encounter of the afternoon, a misfiring Tivoli unit will seek to topple a Cavalier team firing on all cylinders.

It will be a tough task for the team from west Kingston, who have only scored two goals this season against a Cavalier team, who boasts the joint second-best goalscoring record in the league, despite playing the least number of games this season.

Cavalier also enter the fixture fresh off their 7-0 drubbing of the Dominican Republic’s Moca FC in the Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship, and will be looking to bring that momentum into the JPL.

Also in action in the JPL, Molynes United will be looking to move up from the foot of the table when they travel to Ferdie Neita Park to take on Portmore United, while Dunbeholden will be looking to extend their three-game win streak when they play hosts to Chapelton Maroons.

Arnett Gardens will seek to return to winning ways when they take on Humble Lion at the Effortville Community Centre.

Arnett have only won once in their last five fixtures, which was a 3-0 thumping of Molynes in match week six.

Today’s games

Harbour View vs Racing United at Stadium East (3 p.m.)

Tivoli Gardens vs Cavalier at Stadium East (5:30 p.m.)

Dunbeholden vs Chapelton Maroons at Dunbeholden (3 p.m.)

Humble Lion vs Arnett Gardens at Effortville Community Center (3 p.m.)

Portmore United vs Molynes United at Ferdie Neita Park (3:30 p.m.)