Wells and Lee will decide big game
The game that every football fan has been waiting for is this Sunday at St.John's Field between North Village and Dandy Town.
If Village win then the title race continues, but a Dandy Town win and the title race is all but over. With so much to play for let's take a closer look at each team.
Personally, being a North Village fan I would love to see them defeat Dandy Town and go on to win the league, however if I was a betting man I would have to put my money on Dandy Town.
Having watched both of these teams closely over the season this game can go one of two ways. It can be an all out goal scoring game or a tight compact technical game.
Looking at the make-up of the players I do not think that we will witness a technical game. You can be assured that this game will be of a fast tempo from start to finish.
Dandy Town have had the advantage of having a week off to rest any niggling injuries. On the other hand not playing for over a week could possibly hinder Town with respect to their sharpness and game awareness.
Village will have to dig deep to keep up with the pace of the match. Having just played an extra time game on Wednesday with Devonshire Cougars there is a strong possibility that they will be leg weary come the second half of the game. However, there is one thing that Village can depend on, and that is their stingy defence.
Recently I wrote an article stating that Raymond Beach and Ralph Bean Jr. will decide the league title. So far they have performed to get their teams to this point, but fans trust me this will not be the Beach-Bean show.
The two players that will have a major impact and deciding factor of this game will be Nakia Wells and Jason Lee. These two players are so important to their team.
Nahki Wells has blossomed into a fascinating player and his form has been on point. He is a clear candidate for Footballer of the Year. It is his high work rate, vision and overall finishing ability that causes teams problems.
If the Nahki Wells that I know shows up then Village do not have a prayer, but if they can find a way to contain him then anything is possible.
On the flip side of things Village possess the Young Player of the Year hands down in Jason Lee.
Having watched him all season he can single handedly win a match like he did against Boulevard a few weeks ago. Lee has an abundance of talents and has made a huge impact in Village's front line.
Just like Wells is to Town, Lee is to North Village. As we all know if there is one weakness in Town's team it is with their defence. Fans, trust me, if the real Jason Lee shows up Dandy Town's backline will get exposed like never before. He is that good.
It must seem as if my last few comments contradict each other, but these two players can make that much of an impact on the game. Basically, whatever team does the best at containing these two players stands the better chance of winning the game.
Having said all of that how important is the outcome of this game really?
It is really simple. If Dandy Town win this game the league title is over and Village would have gone from possibly winning four trophies to only one within a week.
However, if Village win the title race could go down to the last game of the season, but Village would then have the upper hand. If somehow this game ends in a draw the title race will continue, but it will leave Dandy Town in the driver's seat with really only PHC likely to put a halt to their charge.
Dandy Town players do not seem to have any major injuries to date that I know about and will be coming into this game at full strength ready to go.
Village on the other hand have a major injury concern as they saw their prolific striker Ralph Bean limp out of the Cougars' game before half time emphasising the seriousness of the injury. Village will need Bean to play some part if they are to have any chance.
If Bean can play for only one half that would be better than none at all as his presence alone makes a huge difference to Village.
Having said all of that, one thing fans can be sure of is an action packed game at St.John's field with two great teams battling it out.
Who will win in the end? Will it be Dandy Town's flair or Village's stingy defence? North Village is where my heart is at, so I wish them the best, but having played a tough match during the week I believe that Dandy Town have the upper hand.
As you know sports in general can be unpredictable and on any given day a team can win or lose. I wish both teams the best and may the game be played in the best spirit of sportsmanship.
My prediction: Dandy Town 3 North Village 2, but I really hope I am wrong.