Powell

Western Bureau:

With just three rounds of matches remaining in the 12-team preliminary round of the 2008-09 Captain's Bakery Western Super League, three St James teams - Seba United, Granville and Wadadah - are among the four on course to cop semi-final places.

Mid-season champions Seba United, which had a close 1-0 win against Salt Spring last weekend, lead the overall standings with 44 points, accumulated through 14 wins, two draws and three defeats in 19 games.

Prolific scorers

The two-time national premier league champions are also the competition's most prolific team with 44 goals.

Granville, which have lost only twice in 19 games, are second on 41 points from 12 wins and five draws. In their game against Montpelier last weekend, they were in prime form, running out impressive 3-0 winners.

Frome are in third place on 37 points, while Wadadah occupy fourth on 34 points.

The full standings read as follows: Seba United 44, Granville 41, Frome 37, Wadadah 34, Montpelier 28, Bamboo 24, Clarke's Town 21, Grange Hill 20, Violet Kickers 19, Salt Spring 18, Mount Salem 16 and Negril 14.

"It has been a fantastic season so far, probably the most competitive we have seen in many years," said Orville Powell, chairman of the Jamaica Football Federation's (JFF) Western Confederation. "We strongly believe that whoever wins this competition will go all the way to the Digicel Premier League."

At the semi-final stage, the top team on points will meet the fourth place team and second will meet third to decide the two finalists.

The eventual winner will pocket $110,000 but, most importantly, will earn qualification for the 2009-10 eliminations that will yield two qualifiers for the 2009-10 DPL.

West representation

With Reno FC and Village United, western Jamaica's two contenders in this season's NPL, not doing well and seemingly poised for relegation, the entire west is hoping that whoever qualifies for the eliminations from the Western Super League, will make it to the NPL.

"We are looking forward to throw our full support behind any team that qualifies because we would not like to see the region not having a team in the premier league next season," said Powell. "That is why we are pleased with the standard of play by the teams in this year's tournament."

In the mid-1980s and early 1990s, western Jamaica was the foremost region in national football, with teams such as Reno, Violet Kickers, Seba United and Wadadah, which have eight national titles among them.