Crunch time for D’Cup quarters hopefuls
SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Today is crunch time for quarter-final hopefuls as the final set of games in the Inter-zone round of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup schoolboy football competition is set to be played.
Eight teams — six group winners, plus the best two second-placed teams — will advance to the quarters after today’s matches.
Four schools, including former winners Rusea’s High, Glenmuir High and Garvey Maceo, along with Lennon, have won their two previous games and will advance with at least a draw.
Three other schools, led by defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS), are also well set, despite being on four points.
Of the 24 teams still playing, approximately half have no realistic chances of advancing past this stage, including last year’s beaten finalists Manchester High, who started the season impressively, and Ben Francis Knock-out losing finalists Paul Bogle.
The impressive Rusea’s, who are yet to concede a goal in the Inter-zone round, should have things their way against Brown’s Town in the first game of a double-header at Jarrett Park, starting at 1:00 pm.
The Hanover school, which will be playing its fifth straight game at Jarrett Park, has been led by Brian Brown, who leads the official scoring tables with six goals after netting four against hapless St Mary Tech on Saturday.
Glenmuir, who have managed to stay below the radar for most of the season, face out-of-contention Charlemont High and should get a third-straight win.
Garvey Maceo seem to be making the most of their chances after struggling to get out of the first round, winning both games in Group Six, but face an Old Harbour team coming off a 3-0 win over Titchfield and must win by at least two goals to edge the current leaders on goal difference.
Lennon started the Inter-zone with a 3-0 win over Mannings and followed up with a 5-1 thrashing of Munro College last Friday. They will face a deflated Manchester team at Brooks Park.
Munro, meanwhile, will be clinging onto slim hopes when they meet Mannings at Frome, hoping for a big win and for Manchester to upset Lennon.
STETHS recovered from their opening 0-0 draw with Spalding by beating Clarendon College and will be home to a dangerous Grange Hill team eyeing an upset result and a place in the top eight for the first time.
Grange Hill will be boosted after beating Spalding and will want to add the scalp of the champions.
Group One joint leaders Marcus Garvey Technical and St James will both advance with wins over Frome and St Mary respectively.
The job might be easier for St James as they will be at Jarrett Park against a team yet to earn a point, while Marcus Garvey will travel to Frome where they will face a team with quarter-final ambitions of their own.
Former winners Clarendon are one of the teams on the fringes and should beat Spalding at Jamalco, but will need help from other results.