CLARENDON PARK, Clarendon — The first finalist in the ISSA/Flow Ben Francis Knockout competition will be decided today with south-central neighbours Manchester High and Lennon High set to meet in semi-final one at Juici Park in Clarendon.

Kick-off is scheduled for 2:45 pm.

The other semi-final between five-time defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Dinthill Technical will be played tomorrow at the same venue — likewise Friday’s final.

Meanwhile, today’s game will pit two teams with similar objectives, but contrasting storylines, against each other.

While the Clarendon-based Lennon will be contesting their first Ben Francis semi-final, Manchester have actually flirted with this trophy twice in the past five seasons, losing both finals to STETHS, and will perhaps enter this match-up thinking that success is overdue.

Donovan Duckie’s side blazed a trail early in the season, topping their preliminary-round group in the daCosta Cup with a 100 per cent winning streak, while also setting a record for the most goals scored in the first round — 68.

They then hit a snag mid-season, losing their opening inter-zone game 1-0 against Clarendon College. They also lost their first quarter-final match in dramatic fashion, after conceding two last-gasp goals in a 1-2 defeat to Lacovia High.

But, on each occasion that they seemed to have faltered, Manchester High dug themselves out of the hole with gutsy comeback performances. And now that they are through to the semis of both the daCosta Cup and the Ben Francis KO, they are likely to go up against Lennon thinking that the worst is behind them.

Yet Duckie and his charges, mindful of the hiccups in recent outings, will also know that Lennon, despite flying under the radar for most of the campaign, are no pushovers.

Lennon, the 2010 daCosta Cup finalists, were average in the prelims, drawing twice with the now dethroned daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College, but needed a victory at Edwin Allen in their last first-round game to qualify for the Inter-zone round.

They also placed second to STETHS in the second round, but stoked their confidence with commanding victories over deCarteret College and Alston High.

Merron Gordon’s side finally emerged as a serious title contender at the quarter-final stage, where they topped their group with seven points despite playing two of their three games on the road.

More significantly, however, Lennon were the only team to come through the quarter-final round without conceding a goal — a defensive trait that should prove useful if they are to contain the ultra-attacking Manchester High and their 24-goal striker Romaine Walsh this evening.