MONTEGO BAY, St James — A number of interesting derby games will highlight today’s set of matches in the ISSA/LIME daCosta Cup football competition, which is at the mid-way point of the first round.

Twenty-nine matches are scheduled with five derbies which are expected to grab the headlines lead by the top-of-the-zone clashes between former champions St James High and Cornwall College in Zone A; Frome Technical and Rusea’s High in Zone B, and Glenmuir High and Garvey Maceo High in Zone M.

Munro College’s struggles and fourth place rankings in Zone E will lessen the sheen on their clash with defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), while Sav-la-Mar neighbours Manning’s School and Godfrey Stewart High will also meet in a Zone D game.

Additionally, seven schools will also be putting perfect win records on the line in today’s round of matches that will see the end of the first round of matches, while return round matches will start in four zones.

Cornwall College are off to their best start in four years, winning their first three games, but go up against St James High, who have dominated the series between both schools over the past six seasons.

Cornwall College have only beaten St James High twice in their last 12 meetings and 2007 was the last season the 11-time champions beat St James High twice in one year, 3-1 on both occasions then.

The Dr Dean Weatherly-coached Cornwall are off to a fast start, scoring 18 goals from three games, including 11 against Irwin on Wednesday. Over the last four years Cornwall have managed totals of 19, 13, 20 and 14 goals from their full first round schedule.

Jourdaine Fletcher and Ackeem McCarthy are responsible for half of Cornwall College’s 18 goals scored so far and along with Alrick Ottey and Peter-Lee Vassell, will spearhead the attack.

Neil Clarke got a hat- trick for St James High on Wednesday against Anchovy and will team up with Taviek McNeil and Romario Clarke to try and win the game for their school today.

Rusea’s High and Frome Technical have had a stranglehold on Zone B for years, but it is Rusea’s, the 10-time champions who have dominated their series, winning eight of their last 14 meetings, while losing once over the period.

Both have won their opening two games against Green Island and Merlene Ottey High, and today’s game could play a part in who wins the zone with only four teams taking part.

Statistically there is not much between the teams so far and Frome will be hoping home court advantage will make the difference.

Despite not beating Glenmuir High last year, Garvey Maceo advanced all the way to the final and will hope to prove their pedigree against their main rivals today.

Three schools, including potential spoilers Denbigh High, who have played four games, one more than the others, are on seven points at the top of Zone M.

Munro College’s season could be on the line today as a third loss in five games could knock them out of contention for a place in the inter-zone round.

Games between Munro College and STETHS are as intense as any other anywhere in Jamaican football and with so much on the line, at last for Munro College, it will be a fight to the end.

The last time Munro College won in Santa Cruz was in the 2009 season when they beat STETHS twice. Ironically, the Munro coach Andrew Edwards was the STETHS coach then.

Between 2010 and last year, STETHS have only dropped six points at home in the first round, three draws against Munro, including last season when they drew both games by 1-1 scorelines.

Meanwhile, Manchester High, Cedric Titus High, Clarendon College and Morant Bay High will be hoping to extend winning starts.

Manchester High will take their three-game win streak into their game against Cross Keys in Mandeville; Cedric Titus will go after win number five in Zone I at home against Brown’s Town, while Morant Bay will hope to get their third win of the season when they take on Seaforth High in Zone O.

Clarendon College have never lost to Thompson Town and will hope to extend their run today when they meet in a Zone H return round game. Clarendon College had won the first round game 5-0.