SAV LA MAR, Westmoreland — Defending champions Clarendon College and Manning’s School could join the qualifiers for the inter-zone round of the ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup football competition as action continues with nine games today, most of them rescheduled.

Despite dropping their first points of the season in a game that started at 6:00 pm on Saturday, Paul Bogle High, who drew 0-0 with Seaforth High, became the 10th qualifier for the inter-zone round. They join Cornwall College and St James High from Zone A, Rusea’s High in Zone B, Spot Valley High in Zone C, Manchester High in Zone F, Port Antonio High in Zone L, Glenmuir and Denbigh in Zone M, and Vere Technical in Zone N.

Today, Clarendon College should join them with a win, while Manning’s must win, hoping for favourable results elsewhere, to return to the inter-zone for the first time since 2012.

Clarendon College find themselves in a tougher than expected battle in Zone H and face an ambitious Lennon High team that held them to a draw in the first round.

The Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis-coached team leads Zone H with 14 points from six games, one more than Edwin Allen, with Lennon High in third place on 10 with a game in hand.

Clarendon College are coming off a 0-0 draw against Edwin Allen, the same team they beat 6-1 in the first round. It was the first time they were held goal-less this season.

In Sav-la-Mar, Manning’s were beaten 2-0 in the first round by Godfrey Stewart, but since then have won four games to their neighbours’ one and surged to the top of Zone D on 12 points.

Manning’s have won their last three, including a bruising 2-0 win over a stuttering Petersfield on Saturday, and if they can make it four straight with Maud McLeod failing to win against Little London, they should be back in the inter-zone round.

The stage is set for an exciting three rounds in Zone G where three teams are tied for the lead on 11 points, followed by two more on eight, all in with a great shot at getting the two inter-zone places.

Today, Holmwood Technical and Alston High, both on 11 points, will meet at Sanguinetti Community Centre in what could be a pivotal game for either team.

Holmwood had won the first meeting 3-1 and Coach Dave Anderson will be hoping for a similar result today, while Alston, who match their opponents’ three-win, two-draw, and two-loss record, will hope to use home field advantage to their benefit.

Spalding, who are also on 11 points and are unbeaten, take on Christiana on eight points, while Knox, who have slipped after a good start, will hope a win against Bellefield High will push them up the standings.

In the two other games, wins are almost a must if the teams are to advance. Mile Gully and deCarteret College will meet in Zone F, while York Castle and Brown’s Town will clash in a Zone I game at Addison Park.

deCarteret College took over second place on 15 points after a 7-1 thrashing of Winston Jones, while Mile Gully slipped a place to third on 13 points after being battered 5-0 by Manchester High, both from seven games.

Mile Gully had won the first-round game 1-0 and must win again today if they are to entertain hopes of joining Manchester High in the next round.

The York Castle versus Brown’s Town contest will be the first time the teams are meeting this season, and both are locked on 14 points from identical statistics of four wins, two draws and a loss, five points behind leaders Marcus Garvey Technical.

Brown’s Town have the better goal difference, however, scoring 15 times to York Castle’s seven.