Audley Boyd, Assistant Editor - Sports

QUARTER-MILLION dollars richer. Portmore United or Boys' Town will be just that for winning today's second end-of-round final in the Digicel Premier League, which is set to kick off at 5 p.m. at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

The value of a trophy can never be underestimated and one also numbers among the main prize, as the top two teams of the second round look to settle a score for which the loser gets $150,000 - following respective one-goal wins in matchups this season.

Championship points

Portmore United, the reigning champions and overall leaders, topped the round with 24 points, three more than their Trench Town opponents, who will be very much at home in the upper half of their community.

There are no points for the taking, so victory will not affect any of the teams' cause in their trek to the championship, which Portmore ahead with 43 points.

That's four more than Boys' Town, who will be playing their first end-of-round final since their return to the top flight four seasons ago.

"The primary objective is to have another silverware in the kitty and to look at our position going into the third round," Portmore United's general manager, Clive Marshall, told The Sunday Gleaner yesterday. "Every round starts with a new beginning, each team will make adjustments, whether they're at the bottom, middle or top of the table."

Andrew Price, Boys' Town's technical director, is also focusing on momentum for the title chase as they eye the lion's share of the bounty.

"One of the most important things is to continue our winning trend ... we want to lay a foundation so that we continue this winning trend for the remainder of the season," stated Price, a former central defender for the team. We're guaranteed some prize money and the difference is $100,000. We're in an economic crisis and our club is affected too. We know that any additional funds to our coffers will help us in our run to the premier league title."

Almost a fortnight ago, the Red Brigade turned back Portmore 2-1 down the road at Collie Smith Drive, avenging a 1-0 first-round loss at Portmore's Ferdie Neita Park in the first round. So it isn't surprising they feel they have the measure of each other.

"There's a lot of closeness between the teams," said Price, who added that their recent win is a plus.

According to Marshall, it'll take more than ability to change the parity.

"It's who wants it most," he remarked. "Boys' Town are a very competitive team, especially in their last couple of games ... they beat us in one of those games so they're coming with a lot of confidence. But we're equal to the task and we know exactly what to do coming up against Boys' Town."

Absent players

His team will miss two very influential players, striker Roen Nelson who went at more than goal-a-game upon his return from Trinidad and Tobago, where he played pro and semi-pro ball, as well as national midfielder Wolry Wolfe, who also rejoined the team from leagues in the twin-island republic. Both are on trial with European clubs.

Steven Morrissey and Ricardo Cousins should feature heavily in Portmore's offensive play, while central defender and sweeper Anthony Modeste, along with national goalie Shawn Sawyers, coming off an excellent midweek 0-0 international in London for the Reggae Boyz against Nigeria in which he kept a clean sheet, lead their defence.

Boys' Town will miss defender Jermaine Bailey due to an accumulation of yellow cards, but their main fleet has been strengthened with Kemar Petrekin providing a good boost with an equalising goal against Tivoli, joining forces with Peter Keyes, Oneil McDonald and George Vernal.