Former champions St Elizabeth Technical and title hopefuls Manchester High will both be involved in early top of the tables clashes today as the ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup schoolboys football competition continue with 23 games in eight zones.
STETHS will host BB Coke who returns to Zone E after playing in Zone F last year while Manchester High will be away to Belair in Zone F after all the teams won their opening games on Saturday.
Eleven other schools led by defending champions Cornwall College and former champions St James High, Frome Technical, Clarendon College, Vere Technical and Rusea’s High will also be seeking back to back wins as they seek to maintain their winning starts. Anchovy High from Zone A, Petersfield from Zone D, Titchfield and Fair Prospect from Zone L and Old Harbour from Zone N are the other schools that will be seeking to continue with their winning starts. STETHS and Manchester High both scored comfortable opening wins and faces teams that will be among those hoping to advance to the second round but will have their mettle tested today against the best teams in their zones.
STETHS swept past Maggotty High 8-0 on Monday while Manchester High had cruised past May Day 7-0 on Saturday’s opening day of matches.
Clarendon College who fell just short of any titles last year after battling in three competitions at one time are off to a fast start and blitzed Claude McKay 16-0 on Saturday and Thompson Town are next on their target as they seek to steamroll teams in the first round. Cornwall College saw off a potentially dangerous Green Pond team on Saturday to extend their unbeaten run in Zone A to 25 games and won their 19 th consecutive daCosta Cup game and will take on an young but skilful Irwin team led by talented Michael Pratt in central defence.
Irwin will not have the services of Joel Roberts who was sent of late in their loss to St James High on Monday while Cornwall will have two players who played for Irwin last year, Trevaughn Walker and Najeek Smith in their ranks.
Shavon McDonald got a hattrick on Saturday and he along with Aiden Jokomba and Garnett Hudson will be expected to lead Cornwall’s attack.
After three years of often times difficult times under Aaron Lawrence, Rusea’s is now taking orders from Vassell Reynolds and they got off to a fast start on Monday, putting eight past hapless Hopewell and will be at Cambridge today where they hope to continue their free scoring ways against a team that were beaten 3-0 by Frome on Monday and will still be trying to find their way around.
St James High were gifted a win on Monday after Irwin were unable to field their best team because they did not have ID cards, today they are away to Maldon High in the hills of St James but will be hoping to get the same results.
Aaron Lawrence will be hoping for a good run at Frome and after easing past Cambridge on Monday are away to a depleted Green Island team that for into the inter-zone last year.
The Petersfield vs Mannings game should be interesting with the former Petersfield coach Godfrey Drummond returning home to take over the Mannings program.
