Leighton Levy, STAR Writer

Montego Bay United have a big game coming up on Monday night. They host fourth-place Arnett Gardens at Catherine Hall, knowing a win is crucial. The team has lost four of their last five games and have fallen to third in the Red Stripe Premier League on 48 points and trail Waterhouse, 53 points and Harbour View 51. They are also in danger of possibly being caught by teams currently not in the top four that qualify for the play-offs in this season's new format.

In recent weeks MoBay have been unsettled, mainly by an unstable coaching situation. Dean Weatherley will now take the reins as head coach for the remainder of the season following the recent departure of Hugh Solomon, who has been with MBU since late January after Donovan Duckie unexpectedly resigned.

Permanent coach

"It was maybe a month before this that we knew that the decision to hire a permanent coach for the rest of the season had to be made, but the coaches we are looking for are kind of hard to come by," said club president, Orville Powell.

"Pastor Solomon has been with us but over the past two weeks we got information that he had some commitments that he had to take care of and he gave us notice that he had to be away and that the Waterhouse game would have been his last game."

Ambitions

Weatherley will now have to quickly stabilise the team and make a return to winning ways if MBU are to fulfill their ambitions of winning the league this season. "Right now we have one main intention and that is getting the title. How we get there is a different matter. The format is now the final four go on to play what should be two crucial games and then a final," Powell said, alluding to the new play-off format of the Red Stripe Premier League.

"We know we have worked well, we have put ourselves in that position and we are just trying to maintain it now and preparing for the final games."

Tivoli Gardens and Cavalier are 12 points shy of MBU, and even though in their current form they are unlikely to be caught. Powell said an immediate turnaround is crucial.

"Twelve points with four games to go means they can just catch us, so basically we are playing and trying to win, but what it most important is that we are in that final four."

Despite the disappointing home loss to Rivoli last weekend, Powell is urging the team's fans to turn out on Monday night to support the team.

"We want to encourage the fans to still come out on Easter Monday to see some good football. For the past two weeks that is what we are preparing for. We have something to prove against Arnett. They beat us there the first Monday night game for the season. It was a hard fought game and we want to avenge that."

TOMORROW'S GAMES

August Town vs Sporting Central at UWI Bowl at 3:30 p.m.

Boys' Town vs Waterhouse at Collie Smith Complex at 3:30 p.m.

Tivoli vs Portmore at Edward Seaga Complex at 4 p.m.

Cavalier SC vs Rivoli United at Stadium East at 4:30 p.m.

Harbour View vs Humble Lion at Harbour View Stadium at 6:30 p.m.

MONDAY NIGHT'S GAME

Montego Bay United vs Arnett Gardens at Catherine Hall Sports Complex 8:30 p.m.