RELEGATION WATCH - Treasure Beach safe, Harbour View, Molynes set for last-day drama
The Jamaica Premier League (JPL) relegation battle will be decided on the final match day of the regular season tomorrow as Molynes United and Harbour View will fight to the bitter end to remain in the island’s top flight.
With Spanish Town Police already relegated and Treasure Beach securing their survival, the remaining spot will be decided when Molynes take on Treasure Beach and Harbour View face Cavalier.
The two teams are tied on 39 points after 38 games played, but Molynes hold the advantage with a better goal difference.
Treasure Beach defeated Montego Bay United 2-0 in their last game to move to 43 points, opening up an unassailable four-point gap over Molynes and Harbour View.
Molynes missed out on the opportunity to secure their survival when they faced Harbour View over the weekend.
Needing a win to survive, the Jermaine Thomas-led team saw their four-game win streak snapped when they were stunned 1-0 by virtue of a Garth Stewart goal in the 67th minute.
The win kept Harbour View’s survival hopes alive for a few days, but now they face the daunting task of needing a win against defending champions Cavalier.
In their last meeting this season, Cavalier defeated Harbour View 1-0, but the Stars of the East will be hoping to turn the tables on their opponents.
They will be led by head coach Lenworth Hyde, their third head coach this season, and he is tasked with bringing stability to a club which has experienced a lot of upheaval over the past few years.
Hyde praised his players for their effort against Molynes, saying he is ready to face Cavalier come the end of the regular season.
“I spoke to the players about the situation we are in. We put ourselves where we are, so we have to try and take ourselves out of it, and they did well. They fought gallantly right throughout the game,” Hyde said after his team’s win on Sunday.
Their meeting against Cavalier is expected to be a tense affair as Cavalier are also desperately hunting for a win.
The defending champions are fifth in the standings on 55 points, and are embroiled in a race for the final play-off spot.
A loss against Harbour View could see them falling outside the top six, a situation they will try their best to avoid.
Molynes will enter tomorrow’s fixture with a slight advantage but will remain wary of any pitfalls.
They will travel to St Elizabeth to face a Treasure Beach squad that has already escaped relegation and has nothing left to fight for this season.
However, it will not be an easy afternoon for Molynes, as Treasure Beach will be playing at home, and both teams have been evenly matched this season.
Molynes will need to better or equal Harbour View’s result to secure their safety and escape relegation for the third season in a row.
Sunday’s Results
Waterhouse 3-0 Chapelton
Racing 1-1 Portmore
Dunbeholden 0-5 Mt Pleasant
MoBay 0-2 Treasure Beach
Tivoli 0-2 Cavalier
Molynes 0-1 Harbour View
Arnett 6-0 Spanish Town Police
Photo Caption: Harbour View’s Kenly Deacon (centre) tries to get by the pair of Molynes United’s Enrique Gordon (left) and Samson Ayo Oke during their Jamaica Premier League football game at Constant Spring on Sunday. (Ian Allen)
Syndicated from Jamaica Gleaner · originally published .