JPL quarters kick off today

Arnett Gardens assistant coach Eric Rademakers says despite playing what he considers entertaining football in the Jamaica Premier League regular season, success in the playoffs will require hard work.

Arnett take on Harbour View in their first leg quarter-final at Sabina Park this evening at five.

They start the match as favourites.

"When you go into the play-offs, you cannot look back at the regular season," he said. "Everything changes when you reach the play-offs. It is less about nice football and more about your heart and drive and desire. You have to be prepared to run the extra yards that you need.

"Those are things we have at Arnett Gardens and we will see how much we can lift their game."

The teams drew 1-1 in the first match this season but Arnett won 3-0 with 10 men in the return game, however, for Rademakers those games are now irrelevant.

"I always find it more difficult playing the easier teams in a play-off situation," he said. "But I have no doubt we can win and it is all up to us.

"What we are looking for is the win. And with all the work we have put in, we are looking to make sure the players are fit and physically ready."

Harbour View coach Ludlow Bernard said his players are still smarting from the defeat from their last meeting, and despite being the underdogs, they intend to make a match of it.

"They had the better of us on the last occasion, so the players are looking forward to the game because they do not think Arnett Gardens is three goals better than them," he said.

Harbour View has had some very indifferent performances this season, at times struggling to get their game.

However, Bernard said they have been working hard to consistently play their best game.

"Things are coming together and if we can get our attacking game right and get a goal, we would have something to defend and I believe we are more than capable of doing that," he said. "We are coming to play good football. We have players that can make a big difference and we hope that they come good."

Cavalier face Mount Pleasant in the second quarter-final at 7:30 p.m. and Cavalier technical director Rudolph Speid said though his team is missing key players, he is hoping others can step up.

"We are not afraid of anybody, no matter who we play," he said. "We will fight. It is an uphill task but we are Cavalier and anybody that gets the chance now will have to step up."

Mount Pleasant coach Nick Eaden said the aim is to come out of the first leg without a deficit.

"In a playoff, the ideal scenario is you win the game, so you have a lead to take into the second leg," Eaden said. "If not, you will try to come out not getting beat, you don't want to be going into the second leg chasing."