DIFFERENT BALL GAME

MONTEGO BAY United coach Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis says facing Tivoli Gardens in the first leg of their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) quarter-final at Sabina Park this evening at 6 p.m. will provide a completely different test to the previous times the team met this season.

In the last round of matches, before the play-offs on Sunday, Tivoli came from behind and beat MoBay 2-1 to clinch their spot in the play-offs.

However, Davis said he and his coaching staff saw what they needed to do in that game, and will make the adjustments for tonight’s encounter.

“It will be a totally different game. Nevertheless, they won the last game with us and I think they will be confident.

“But we did our work at the (Tivoli) field and we know what we have to do, and we are going to put in a different effort than the last game. So I expect a much better performance, energy, and everything,” he said.

“When we scored in that game, we stopped playing and let them back in the game. But tomorrow it is going to be a different game,” Davis said yesterday.

In the other two meetings this season, MoBay were 3-1 and 4-2 winners over the west Kingston team, but Davis cautioned against using those results to judge their opponents as well.

“We will have to play for the whole 90 minutes and do not underestimate them, because if we do that anything can happen. But we did our work and we know what to do, and it is for us to go and execute,” he said.

AIMING TO WIN

However, Davis, who previously led MoBay to the title, said the aim is to win the first leg and set themselves for the return game.

“We are definitely going out to win. If you do not win the game, you do not know where you are going to stand for the second leg. And our approach all season is to win games, and that hasn’t changed.

“We want to be in pole position at the end of that first leg. We are on a mission to win this league, as are all the teams in the top six. But it is who wants it more. So we have to be hungry tomorrow,” he added.

Tivoli coach Jerome Waite has accepted his team’s underdog tag for the matchup, and said they will have to be very solid in defence to give themselves the best chance going into the second leg.

“Despite what transpired in the last game, MoBay is a good team and they will come firing on all cylinders.

“Players who were missing will be added to that team. So it will not be easier, but we are here to compete.

“It will be us as the underdogs, based on where we are coming from to clinch that play-off spot. But don’t take anything away from MoBay, they are a quality team. They have so many talented players and I expect a very tough game. But the idea going into the first leg is not to concede, and once you don’t concede, anything else can happen,” he said.

Tivoli lost just one game during the third round of games, the first the round, to Humble Lion, and Waite said their unbeaten run is a big boost to the team’s confidence.

“We have been unbeaten in the last 12 games, which shows that we are here to play. It gives a lot of confidence to the team and how they are playing now. They are in a good mindset and they are applying themselves tactically.

“So I am looking for another outstanding performance from these players, and we always want the support from the spectators.

“We are looking for them to turn up in their numbers and support the team. The players have been consistent for such a long period that they have gotten the supporters to believe. So I expect them to turn out,” he added.

Meanwhile, defending champions Cavalier and Portmore will meet in the other quarter-final at 8:30 p.m.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

TODAY’S GAMES

Tivoli vs MoBay Utd at Sabina Park (6 p.m.)

Portmore vs Cavalier at Sabina Park (8:30 p.m.)