THE TRUE TEST of winning a championship is coping with pressure.
Title favourites Barbados Defence Force (BDF) are coming face to face with that reality.
They play an improving Pride of Gall Hill at 6 p.m today in one of three Digicel Premier League football matches at the Wildey Football AstroTurf.
After playing the entire first round unbeaten, the BDF’s seeming aura of invincibility was shattered by defending champions Weymouth Wales.
This was followed by last Sunday’s goalless draw with DirecTV Paradise.
They still top the standings on 30 points, two more than second-placed Mackeson Brittons Hill and have a game in hand. A loss or draw tonight could open the door for Brittons Hill even though they have four tough remaining matches against Wales (June 9), Notre Dame (June 20), Gall Hill (June 23) and Paradise (July 4).
Gall Hill have been bolstered by Romelle Burgess and Ramuel Miller as well as Malcolm “Buju” Marshall this season and a victory will put them level with the Dames on 24 points.
The match will see BDF’s Jamal Chandler up against his brothers Jabarry Chandler and Kevin “Beasy” Moore in the Gall Hill side.
Football fans will also get to see exciting Barbados Under-17 striker Shaquille Boyce up against the strong BDF defence, which has conceded a mere seven goals in the Premiership.
The opening match at 4 p.m will be a bottom-of-the-table clash between Youth Milan and Families First St John Sonnets while Wales play Paradise in the night-cap at 8 p.m.
Wales will also move to 24 points should they defeat the usually defensive Paradise, whose mere 12 goals in 13 matches this season, are the second lowest in the ten-team tournament. Sonnets have scored nine.
Points (matches bracketed): BDF 30 (13), Brittons Hill 28 (14), Notre Dame 24 (14), Wales 21 (13), Gall Hill 21 (13), Paradise 19 (13), Cosmos 15 (14), Dayrells Road 15 (14), Youth Milan 9 (13), Sonnets 7 (14).
