CC poised to extend streak

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Six-time champions Clarendon College, the runaway leaders in Zone H, will be among five teams seeking to maintain 100 per cent win records this afternoon, when the first round of the preliminary phase of the 2010 ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup comes to a close with 32 games.

The Donovan Duckie-coached Clarendon, which last won the coveted cup in 1998, have been on a roll this season, beating Thompson Town 7-0, Lennon 2-1, Vere Technical 1-0 and Claude McKay 3-0 in the four games they have played. They are heavily favoured to extend their winning streak to five against today's opponents, Edwin Allen, who sit in fourth place in the group on six points.

The other teams with perfect win records are Zone C leaders Marcus Garvey (12 points), who will entertain struggling Albert Town (1); St Mary Technical (12), which will battle arch-rival St Mary High (9) in a top-of-the-table Zone D clash; Zone L leaders Paul Bogle (9), who will battle second-placed Morant Bay High (7); and the free-scoring Manchester High (15), which will square off with second-placed Spaldings High (11).

Champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), who trail zone leaders Munro College (10) by two points in Zone F, are favoured to record their third win when they play away to fourth-place Maggotty (4). However, they are unlikely to catch the Munro team (10), which should start favourites against third-place Decarteret (7).

A work in progress

"We are a work in progress and our aim is to get better with each game," said STETHS' coach, Andrew Edwards, after his team's 0-0 draw against Munro on Saturday. "We just need to start putting away more of our chances and we should be okay."

Over in Zone A where all the teams, including former champions St James High School and Cornwall College have already tasted defeat, there should be a mad scramble for points.

Joint leaders St James High (7) and Spot Valley (7) will host William Knibb (3) and Cornwall College (6), respectively. Green Pond (4) will entertain Muschett High (5) in the group's other game.

In Zone I, former champion Glenmuir, which currently lead the standings with 10 points, could face a tricky assignment against the unpredictable fifth-place Kemps Hill (4), which held fourth-place Garvey Maceo (5) to a 2-2 when the teams met two weeks ago.

Today's Games

Zone A:- Spot Valley vs Cornwall College at Barrett Town, Green Pond vs Muschett at Cornwall Courts, St James vs William Knibb at Jarrett Park

Zone B:- Frome vs Hopewell at Frome, Maldon vs Herbert Morrison at Maldon

Zone C:- Cedric Titus vs Brown's Town at Clarke's Town, York Castle vs Ocho Rios at York Castle, Marcus Garvey vs Albert Town at Drax Hall

Zone D:- St Mary High vs St Mary Technical at Highgate, Brimmer Vale vs Iona at Brimmer Vale, Annotto Bay vs Islington at Westmoreland Oval (Annotto Bay)

Zone E:- Mannings vs Maud McLeod at Mannings, Grange Hill vs Petersfield at Belle Isle, Little London vs Godfrey Stewart at Little London

Zone F:- Lacovia vs Mile Gully at Lacovia, Maggotty vs STETHS at Maggotty

Munro College vs DeCarteret at Munro

Zone G:- Alston vs Porus at Kobbla, Christiana vs Knox at Christiana

Spaldings vs Manchester at Spaldings

Zone H:- Lennon vs Vere at Lennon, Thompson Town vs Claude McKay at Oval Office, Clarendon College vs Edwin Allen at Clarendon College

Zone I:- Central vs Garvey Maceo at Four Paths, Glenmuir vs Kemps Hill at Brancourt

Zone J:- Ewarton vs Old Harbour at Ewarton, McGrath vs Dinthill at McGrath

Zone K:- Fair Prospect vs Buff Bay at Fair Prospect, Titchfield vs Happy Grove at Carder Park

Zone L:- Paul Bogle vs Morant Bay at Paul Bogle, Yallahs vs Robert Lighbourne at Phillips Field