Hanover, First Choice in big Masters semi showdown

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:The two teams to contest the final of the 2013 Gas Pro Western Masters Football League will be determined by tomorrow's second-leg semi-final games at the Urban Development Corporation playing field in Montego Bay and Kenilworth in Hanover. Both games start at 4 p.m.

In the games down for contention, Jamaica Brazil will take an impressive 6-0 first-leg advantage into their game against Violet Tourers in Montego Bay, while defending champions First Choice and many-time winners Hanover Masters, who battled to a first-leg 0-0 stalemate, will meet in Hanover.

Looking ahead to their game against the battered and bruised Violet Tourers, Jamaica Brazil look set to dominate yet again as according to skipper Theodore 'Tappa' Whitmore, the team will basically be fine-tuning aspects of their game going into the finals.

"With a six-goal, first-leg lead I think we can safely say we are assured of a place in the final," said Whitmore. "There is no question that we are the better team, so we just need to go out and demonstrate that once again."

Despite their disappointing first-leg loss, the Violet Tourers team, which marched into the semi-finals in style on the back of 9-1 and 7-1 wins against Life TV and a then depleted First Choice, respectively, will be hoping that the likes of Kirstan Walker and Kenneth Gaynor will find the goalscoring form which deserted them in the first leg.

If one should go by the non-stop excitement which unfolded in Sunday's first-leg 0-0 draw at Flankers playing field in St James, then it should be a ding-dong battle between First Choice and Hanover Masters, who are both blessed with an abundance of former national players.

First Choice ready

"We know they (Hanover Masters) are a good team, but we are ready for them," said First Choice's star striker Alme McFarlane, who has been enjoying a very good season. "We are definitely looking at winning this game because we need to do that to retain our title."

However, the Hanover Masters outfit, which is chock-full of former Rusea's High School daCosta Cup star players, is hell-bent on adding to their legacy as the competition's most successful team.

"We will have home advantage for this game, so we intend to make it count for us," said former national player Durrent 'Tatty' Brown, who shares defensive duties for Hanover Masters with the likes of the rugged Mark 'Hagler' Wilson. "We are very confident that we will win."

In addition to Brown and Wilson, Hanover Masters also include former nationals Paul 'Tegat' Davis, Hector Wright and Donald Hewitt, alongside Hector Linton, Stanley Whittaker and Denton Vidal.

For First Choice, McFarlane will be assisted by the likes of goalkeeper Loxley Reid, Rex Loftman and Franklyn Allen.