Fresh from a hard-fought 1-1 draw with injury-hit Dayrells Road, DirecTV Paradise will have an even tougher assignment tonight.
The Dover-based side face their arch rivals Claytons Kola Tonic Notre Dame in a Digicel Premier League football match at the Wildey AstroTurf at 9 p.m.
The Dames, winners of nine Premiership crowns since 1997, have been playing an enterprising brand of soccer.
They have only suffered one loss while gaining four victories and drawing twice to be second in the ten-team competition on 14 points behind leaders, Barbados Defence Force, who have played one game more.
Paradise are fifth on 12 points as they were forced to share the spoils with Dayrells Road, whose Tristan “Fishy” Parris scored his seventh goal of this year’s Premiership in the 46th minute of Tuesday’s encounter,
It took a goal from Kenny Sealy in the 68th minute for Paradise to equalize on a night where the scheduled first match between winless teams, Families First St John Sonnets and Youth Milan, wasn’t played because of a no-show of the former.
Tonight, Paradise defence will have to contend with the speedy Notre Dame attacking duo of Diquan Adamson and DeCarlo Jemmott.
Former BDF player Kadeem “Buju” Atkins has also added some kick to the Dames’ attack, admirably filling the void on the left side of midfield following the transfer of Carl Joseph to Weymouth Wales.
At the other end, Armando “Suga” Lashley will need to show his worth against the Notre Dame defence.
This match, will not only showcase two of the island’s best goalkeepers in Jason Boxhill of Paradise and the Dames’ Kareem Farrell but will also see a midfield battle between Paradise’s coach/player Kent Hall and Dames’ club president, John Hawkesworth, both former Barbados players.
In the opening encounter at 7 p.m., Mackeson Brittons Hill, who are fourth on 12 points, ahead of Paradise on goal difference, oppose Pride of Gall Hill, who have six points from eight matches.
Gall Hill will welcome back national Under-17 striker Shaquille Boyce and it will be interesting to see whether they will deploy evergreen Oscar Nero in an attacking or a defensive role as he may be needed to help contain Brittons Hill’s strike force.
The midfield battle looks even with Gall Hill’s Malcolm “Buju” Marshall, Rico Baptiste and Renaldo Marques up against Brittons Hill’s captain Riviere Williams, Elsid Miggins and Luther Watson.
