HYDEL High, Calabar High and St Jago High are all in an epic Group F battle to secure two spots into the second round of the ISSA/LIME Manning Cup on a day when only seven games are on.

Only three points separate the top-three teams in Group F, which Hydel lead with 20 points. Calabar are second with 19 points with St Jago third on 17 points.

Hydel, who need only a draw, travel to fourth-placed St Catherine High (10 points), but so significant are their goal difference that Hydel can afford to lose and still qualify.

Their aim, however, must be to top the group where they would be placed into Group K of the next round, involving Camperdown, possibly Kingston College and a best third-place team.

But if they finish second, Hydel would be in a group involving serious title contenders St George’s College, Wolmer’s Boys and Haile Selassie in Group H of the second round.

Second-placed Calabar host Eltham High on nine points knowing that only a win will be good enough as their fate is in their hands.

St Jago are the least fancied of the three but they have the easiest task against pointless Penwood who have conceded 46 goals while scoring only four times.

They will be hoping for slip-ups by Hydel and/or Calabar, which could see them through the back door, securing one of the two available spots.

St Jago will be boosted by their 8-0 drubbing of Penwood in their first encounter and will be confident of securing another big win. They have a goal difference of plus-12 compared to Hydel’s 35 and Calabar’s 13.

So the easiest bet for St Jago, is for Calabar to draw or lose because if Hydel lose, St Jago would have to score at least 20-plus goals against Penwood. That’s a mammoth task, but certainly not impossible seeing that Penwood lost 0-14 to Hydel on September 13.

Of the three games, Hydel have the more difficult task against a St Catherine who held them to 1-1 draw on September 19.

Calabar also had to fight hard for a 1-0 win over Eltham that day, but at the time, both St Catherine High and Eltham had something to play for. Today they don’t, although the Corporate Area cynics believe there will be a St Catherine parish conspiracy to oust Calabar — the only school in contention not from that parish.

Meanwhile in Group C, Denham Town and Innswood High, both through safely to the next round, clash in a top-of-the-table encounter to decide group winner.

Denham Town lead the group with 21 points, three ahead of Innswood but a two-goal victory for the latter would be enough to steal top spot.

Interestingly, it might be best to finish second in this group as the winner will be placed in Group J alongside Jamaica College, Excelsior and Holy Trinity. But a second-place finish would guarantee a match-up in Group I with Charlie Smith, Norman Manley and a best third-place team. So, it will be interesting to see both Denham Town and Innswood fighting to finish second.