Rich Man, Poor Man<$>, the network television series that ruled the airwaves in the mid-Seventies, centred on brothers who went their separate ways with contrasting effect in search of the American Dream.

When the Dudley Eve Trophy final begins tomorrow at Southampton Oval (2.30 p.m.), it will put on view clubs whose winning tradition is as divergent as cats and mice are incompatible.

The score in this prestigious competition reads: PHC 6, Wolves 0.

The Zebras have reached nine finals while Wolves, who have just the one significant title in their sporting history, are playing in their first.

But, while Wolves have lacked in cup pedigree, they have more than made up the stagger in recent times — this being their fourth appearance in a final in the five years that Dennis Brown has been coach.

“I don’t think we’re in uncharted territory,” Brown said yesterday. “Most of the players have been with me throughout my time here and this is our fourth final. So their maturity is growing and I think they’re looking forward to it, really.”

The Devonshire team should have confidence on their side as well, after a 4-1 thrashing of PHC on December 18 to set the tournament on its head. And Devonshire Colts were beaten 5-3 by Devonshire Cougars in the second game to confirm that one of the two unfancied clubs would contest the final.

Wolves clinched the first place in the final by brushing off Cougars 2-0 in the winners’ semi-final and they will have had seven days off come kick-off. “I definitely think we needed the couple of days’ rest,” Brown said. “We were a little banged up.”

PHC scraped through the elimination match last Sunday against Colts, winning with virtually the final “punch”, when Kevin Bean diverted a cross into his own net. Having shored up the defence with the introduction of Chris Furbert alongside Stanton Lewis in the middle, PHC proceeded to hit top gear on Boxing Day, putting five past Cougars to set up a mouth-watering final over two legs.

The return of John Barry Nusum proved central to Wolves’ big win in the first round, as he scored twice from the striker’s position. Wolves had to cope with the dismissal of Khari Sharrieff but now they have “a welcome headache” over selection as the big forward is clear to return as well as Chae Simmons, who has completed a four-match ban.

Jamal Simmons, the utility defender who has recently made the right-back position his own, will be available after he was reported mistakenly to the Bermuda Football Association as having received a yellow card in the Cougars match. Stuart Crockwell, the referee who will handle tomorrow’s match, has had his one-match suspension quashed with the yellow card put instead on the record of Jamel Warren.

“The good thing about my team is that I have a lot of players who play more than one position,” Brown added. “It may be a case of mixing and matching on the day.”

One player he will have to do without for certain is midfielder Sekai Waldron, who was cautioned in the Cougars match and will be stood down until the second leg on New Year’s Day at the earliest.

This paves the way for Simmons to make a quick return to the starting line-up although Brown has the option of retaining Jamel Warren or Mark Ray, whose health and fitness he gambled on for more than an hour against Cougars.

Vince Minors or Jared Peniston may be disappointed not to start as Brown has the chance to throw both Sharrieff and Nusum at the PHC defence in a show of strength. Both big men have contributed a brace in the two wins over PHC thus far — 3-2 in the Martonmere Cup on September 11 and 4-1 in the first round.

PHC, who beat Wolves 3-0 in their second meeting, an October 6 league match, will be bubbling after their demolition of Cougars.

They presently have the luxury of leaving Dennis Russell, who scored twice in the aforementioned victory, on the substitutes’ bench but they are otherwise lightweight in that department compared to the resources Wolves have to call on.Continued on Page 16