North Village Rams have declared Sunday’s big title-deciding Premier Division showdown against Devonshire Cougars at The Den their “payoff” for making an astonishing comeback after a slow start to the season.

Not even their most loyal fan would have predicted them being in the position they currently hold — leaders with a two-point edge over Cougars going into the finale — after starting the season poorly with many questioning if they really had the heart of retaining their championship.

Without disclosing whether he himself shared these thoughts at the time, coach Dwayne (Streaker) Adams makes no secret that they have shown true signs of a champion by displaying enough character by rallying to make a spirited burst to the finish line.

“This is pay-off time, we are looking at the final game as an avenue for us to pay ourselves off for fighting our way back after a slow start to the season,” said the coach.

“One thing our skipper (Ralph Bean jr) says all of the time is that we don’t get paid for playing football in Bermuda, it’s all about bragging rights. That’s what we fight for week in and week out, although from a coaching standpoint we strive to persevere for consistency more than anything else.”

The weekend clash with neighbours Cougars appears to put the visiting Rams in a more enviable position as they need just one point to wrap up the title — while hosts Cougars require maximum points in order to pull off victory.

Adams, however, doesn’t agree, pointing out that neither team holds any advantage going into the contest.

“Here we have two good teams, both striving for maximum points and both aware that on the day the other team is just as capable of pulling off victory,” he said.

“I think we both have a lot of pressure on our shoulders and we will have to wait and see who is best suited to deal with it.”

The fact that the race for honours is going down to the wire is something that Adams relishes, saying it will give the public something to look forward to.

But he reckons that the occasion is also one that was indeed a fitting tribute to the players of both teams who have put in a lot of work and preparation throughout the season.

“I think that’s what the players deserve, it’s their day and now they have an opportunity to show what quality they really are capable of producing. Here you have two top teams on the Island from a consistency point of view, something which you don’t normally see in this day and age.”

Rams enter the game with more momentum following their whopping six-goal win on Sunday (over lowly Paget) but the coach isn’t raving about what boost they will have been given as a result of that outcome.

“I think we had already obtained our boost which was to accomplish a lot of success after a poor start, just being able to find our way out of that period was indeed a lift for us,” he said.

“From where we were to where we have come is quite an achievement.”

During their match-up in the first half of the season the teams battled to a draw 3-3 at Bernard Park on October 15 which showed what little difference in strength there is between the two sides. A similarly tight result is expected once again.

Adams is aiming to become if not the first, at least one of a small number of coaches to win Premier Division titles in just two seasons of coaching should Rams be successful, but he doesn’t care much about pulling off such a feat.

“At this point it’s not about me, it’s for the guys. They are the one playing and putting in all of sweat for all of this,” he asserted.