20 games on today in daCosta Cup
SAV-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Four schools, including former champions Dinthill Technical and Vere Technical, as well as Manchester High and Islington High will be seeking to extend their perfect records to four games as the Inter Secondary School Assoc /Flow daCosta Cup football competition continues with 20 games today.
Meanwhile, eight other teams will put their perfect records on the line, including former winners Godfrey Stewart High, against Petersfield High who will meet in a Zone D top-of-the-table clash in Sav-la-Mar.
Petersfield lead with more goals scored as the teams are locked on six points from two wins and with identical goal differences of five each. Petersfield will come into the game with an edge, having won four of the last six meetings between the two schools and are coming off a 5-1 win over Manning’s School on Saturday.
Godfrey Stewart, zone winners last year, are yet to concede a goal and will hope home field advantage will tilt the scales in their favour.
Manchester High are off to yet another fast start, scoring 17 goals in three starts while yet to concede a goal, and will host DeCarteret College, whom they have beaten four straight times while conceding one goal in the process.
Romario Walsh has scored back-to-back three-timers for Manchester High and will be the man to lead his team today against second-placed DeCarteret.
A loss for DeCarteret could see them slip as far as fourth, as Mile Gully High, who had their two-game win streak broken by Manchester High on Saturday, will meet Cross Keys, each team on six points.
A fourth win for Islington High today, when they take on Brimmervale, would see them match their total wins for the past two seasons and avenge their two losses last year.
Islington have scored five goals so far, while Brimmervale have lost both games played while scoring once.
Tacky High, who won both games played so far, could also take over second place all by themselves with a win over Annotto Bay, both schools tied on six points each.
Dinthill Technical have ambitions of going much farther than winning Zone K and will hope to avoid the first round slip-up against Charlemont High last year when they were edged 1-0. That was the only let-down for Dinthill against Charlemont in the last four seasons as they have won the other seven meetings.
Vere Technical, who ruled daCosta Cup football for years, have had some lean years but are off to their best start in years, winning their first three games but have never beaten Kemps Hill at this stage. Games between these two have, for the most part, been close and five games ended in draws, but Vere should get the better of Kemps Hill, who have drawn both games played so far.
Paul Bogle High have won their first two games in Zone O and will take on a slow-starting St Thomas Technical who beat them twice the last time the teams met, in 2013.
St Thomas Technical could be dangerous as after losing their opening game, rebounded on Saturday to beat Robert Lightbourne 5-1, and will take this momentum into today’s game.
Lacovia High could hold on to the lead in Zone E when they take on Maggotty High, who they have beaten four times in the last three years. Maggotty High have proved they are no pushovers this season and lead four-time champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), both on five points, but in second place on goal difference.
STETHS are coming off a win over arch-rivals Munro College, their first this season, and could be poised for a run at the top of the table when they play away to BB Coke today.
Marcus Garvey Technical could retake the lead in Zone I after their upset 0-1 loss to York Castle on Saturday if they can beat a struggling Cedric Titus, who have two points from three games. Marcus Garvey are on six points, one behind leaders York Castle who play tomorrow, but have not beaten Cedric Titus since 2013, losing both times to the Trelawny school last year.
Games on today
Zone D
Godfrey Stewart vs Petersfield
Maud McLeod vs Manning’s
Zone E
BB Coke vs STETHS
Maggotty vs Lacovia
Munro vs Newell
Zone F
Winston Jones vs Belair
Cross Keys vs Mile Gully
Manchester vs DeCarteret
Zone I
Marcus Garvey vs Cedric Titus
Zone J
Annotto Bay vs Tacky
Brimmervale vs Islington
St Mary Tech vs St Mary High
Zone K
Tacius Golding vs Ewarton
Charlemont vs Dinthill
Bog Walk vs McGrath
Zone N
Foga Road vs Old Harbour
Vere Tech vs Kemps Hill
Zone O
Paul Bogle vs St Thomas Tech
Robert Lightbourne vs Seaforth