Eight schools will have one last chance at taking one of the four remaining automatic qualifying spots to the second round of the ISSA/FLOW daCosta Cup when the competition continues with 14 rescheduled games today.

Twenty six of the 30 automatic qualifying spots (top two in each of the 15 zones) have already been secured. The two best third-placed teams will aso progress.

The remaining spots are to come from Zones B, M, N and O.

Up to press time yesterday, there was uncertainty surrounding the unplayed Zone A game between St James High and Anchovy.

The game was not played on Thursday and there were conflicting reports as to the reason. St James High said the game was called off because of a waterlogged pitch, but reports later surfaced that the former champions refused to play the game despite the referees’ orders to go ahead.

Yesterday, ISSA’s Competitions Director George Forbes told the Jamaica Observer that principal of St James High and Zone A Chairman Joseph Williams has advised of an agreement for the game to be played today at Jarrett Park.

However, when contacted, the principal of Anchovy High declined to confirm. He directed the Observer to the daCosta Cup Chairman Linvern Wright, who said he will assess the original referees’ report before making a decision.

The game between Green Island High vs Zone B qualifiers Rusea’s High and the Zone M encounter between second -round hopefuls Bellefield High and out-of-contention Porus High will continue from where they were interrupted on Saturday.

Rusea’s High, who are on 23 points and need only a point to win the zone, were leading Green Island 1-0 at half-time, when the game was called off due to torrential rains in Green Island.

The game will continue today starting at 1:00pm, while the other game in the zone between Frome Technical at Knockalva Technical will start an hour earlier.

Frome Technical are on 19 points, one behind Green Island. If Rusea’s holds on to win, a victory at Knockalva would see Frome advance as the second-place team. A draw at Green Island, however, could see the home team take one of the best third-place spots, as few other third-place teams could surpass 21 points.

In Zone M, Porus High led Bellefield High 1-0 with five minutes to go when the referee awarded a penalty to Bellefield, and a subsequent protest led to the game being blown off.

Bellefield High are on 10 points and must win the game to surpass Denbigh High for second place on goal difference. Zone winners Glenmuir High won all eight games.

The situation in Zone N could require another game on Wednesday to decide who advance, unless leaders and early qualifiers Central High, on 22 points, beat third-place Vere Technical (17 points), and second-place Garvey Maceo (18 points) beat Kemps Hill to settle the two spots.

Paul Bogle High, on 20 points, can take second place in Zone O with a draw at St Thomas Technical, while Morant Bay could move into the reckoning for a best third-place finish with a win at Yallahs High.

—Paul A Reid