TIVOLI GARDENS survived a slow early-season start, attempted mutiny and an embarrassing 3-0 loss against Port-more United en route to qualifying for this Sunday's first-round final of the Cash Plus Premier League.

Starting Sunday's decisive final match of the round as one of many teams in with a chance to join Portmore in the bonus final, Tivoli went in at the break with their heads down after promoted side St. Georges led 1-0 in the 27th minute off captain Damion Harwood's strike.

With scores coming in from around the league indicating that only a win would put Tivoli into the final with Portmore, it was as if Lynch Park had moved to the Edward Seaga Stadium as the travelling Portland fans had a ball, horns blaring and all.

None could have expected that seven minutes after the restart Tivoli would have exploited St. Georges' left flank twice in two minutes to race to a 2-1 lead before getting the clincher in the 63rd for a 3-2 win.

Better goal average

Jermaine Taylor cancelled Harwood's strike in the 50th, but that was not enough as St. Georges started the match with a plus-five goal average to Tivoli's minus-one and a draw would have seen the visitors' advancing on a better average.

Roberto Fletcher made it 2-1 two minutes later off a second cross from Horace Howell but it was Chris-topher Jackson's 63rd-minute free-kick which had 75-year-old club president, Edward Seaga, jumping around like a schoolboy of 15.

Jackson sealed the deal, beating goalkeeper Athoneil Williams at his near post from 30-odd yards on the right before substitute Richardo Watson pulled a goal back for the Premier League first-timers in the 88th minute.

Assistant coach Desmond Francis said he made tactical changes after the break, but said it took a stern dressing down at half-time to get Tivoli going.

"I was worried after trailing 1-0 at half-time," he admitted.

"I moved Howell from midfield to forward and dropped 'Haitian' (Fletcher) to midfield," he said.

"When we went in I told them if they had any pride at home, they had to give the home crowd a victory. I told them we had to get two goals and they scored three."

Coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey did not rain on Francis' parade, directing reporters to the former Tivoli goalkeeper, saying he only arrived in time for the second half as he was off the island.

Biggest grudge matches

Sunday's final will pit Tivoli against Portmore in one of the biggest grudge matches of the season.

Portmore had whipped Tivoli at home while the men from west Kingston were embroiled in a salary dispute with management, which had interrupted their preparations earlier this season.

That was probably Tivoli's worst home loss in many years and a heated final is expected Sunday as Portmore's coach, Linval Dixon, a former Reggae Boy defensive enforcer, had made it clear, after their big win, that the key was to keep Tivoli under constant pressure.