TG set sights on play-off spot

Tivoli Gardens coach, Philip Williams, believes victory over relegation bound Vere United in this weekend’s round of Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) games will strengthen their bid for a top six place.

Tivoli, 40 points, are one place outside the top six in seventh. They sit one point behind sixth place Arnett Gardens and Williams says based on matchups in this round, they are poised to climb back into the top half of the table.

“It’s a chance once again to put ourselves in the top six, for only the second time for the season, so we will definitely go into the game with the mindset of giving ourselves a chance of winning the game. This is a team we haven’t beaten all season, the first two games ended in 1-1 scorelines. However, this is the first time we will be having them at the Edward Seaga Sports Complex and we want to make home advantage count,” he said.

“This game can make or break our chances for a playoff-spot, the guys are serious and are ready for the game. If all goes well, at the end of the game we should be in a play-off spot.

When we look at the fixtures, a lot of the teams that are competing with us for a play-off berth will be playing each other. We play Vere and three points would see us through to a play-off spot because at least one of rivals will drop points.

Focused

“So we are counting on that but we are still focused on what we need to do, which is to win the game,” Williams said. Although they have gained a lot of confidence from recent high -profile victories over Waterhouse and Portmore, the Tivoli coach says they will not underestimate the underdogs Vere (18 points). They can still mathematically survive despite being 11 points off tenth-place Molynes with only five matches to go.

“The confidence is high but we have to approach each game differently. This (Vere) team is still in with a mathematical chance of staying up and they must be thinking about that and trying to win their remaining games, so we are not taking them lightly.

“The guys are really upbeat based on the second round form and our showing in February and are looking forward to upcoming five games. They are confident that at the end of these five games we will be in top six and a play-off spot,” he said.