SEBA UNITED became the first qualifiers for the first end-of-round final in the Captain's Bakery Western Super League on Saturday when they played out a 0-0 draw with Negril to secure the point they needed to seal their place.
With just one set of first round matches to be played, the Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore-coached side, which has 23 points, can only be caught for leadership of the group at the end of the round by second-place Frome, who moved up to 21 points with a 1-1 draw against Clarke's Town.
Two-point advantage
Seba United's season record after 10 of their scheduled 11 first-round games is seven wins, two draws and one defeat, which gives them their two-point advantage over Frome, who have been having one of their better seasons in recent years.
In other games played over the weekend, Granville's bid to make the end-of-round final ahead of Frome took a nose-dive when they were held to a 0-0 draw by Grange Hill at the Sam Sharpe Teachers College. Granville, on 19 points, must win their final-round game and hope Frome lose if they are to advance.
"We are still in the hunt and not giving up," said Tracey Reid, the coach of Granville whose season record now stands at five wins, four draws and one defeat in 10 games. "Our plan is to do what we have to do and then see what happens in Frome's game," she said.
In the lower half of the standings, Violet Kickers, who started last weekend's round of games languishing at the bottom of the standings on six points, sprang a surprise on fellow St James team Salt Spring, spanking them 2-0 in their Montego Bay derby at Cornwall College.
By virtue of their win, Violet Kickers have pushed Mt Salem, who lost 2-0 to Montpelier, to the bottom of the standings.
Kickers have moved up to nine points; Mt. Salem remain on a mere seven. Interestingly, Montpelier's win has lifted them up to 12 points and into the jam-packed mid-table.
Reinstated
Defending champions Wadadah, who were expelled from the competition and subsequently reinstated, kept themselves close to the leaders with a 1-1 draw against Bamboo at the UDC playing field in Montego Bay. Wadadah's one point keeps them in fourth place on 16 points.
The full standings ahead of the final set of first-round games are: Seba 23, Frome 21, Granville 19, Wadadah 16, Clarke's Town 15, Bamboo FC 13, Montpelier FC 12, Salt Spring 10, Negril FC 10, Grange Hill nine, Violet Kickers nine and Mt Salem seven.