Cornwall face Spot Valley in tricky assignment

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

With the competition now on in earnest, it should be a mad scramble for points this afternoon when action resumes in the 2010 ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup rural area senior schoolboy football matchup at 3:30, with rescheduled games in nine zones and originally scheduled games in the other three zones.

Following last week's heavy rains across the island, the daCosta Cup games scheduled for Wednesday were shifted to Thursday, but the continuous rains on Thursday also prevented matches from being played, hence this afternoon's fixtures.

In a release to the media last Friday, ISSA's competition's officer, George Forbes, stated that "all games originally set for Wednesday, September 29, in the rural daCosta Cup will now be played on Monday, October 4, except for matches in zones G, H and J, which will play according to their original fixture".

Possibly interesting matches

While all 12 zones should churn out interesting matches, some of the games that should generate special interest are the Zone A showdown between many-time champions Cornwall College and the sprightly Spot Valley, the St Mary High and St Mary Technical Zone D matchup, and the Zone F face-off between Munro College and DeCarteret College.

With 2008 champions St James (10) enjoying a slender lead atop Zone A but having the less than impressive William Knibb to contend with at Jarrett Park, neither second-place Cornwall College (9) nor fourth-place Spot Valley (7) can afford a major slip-up at this time.

Cornwall College are coming off a 3-2 win against Green Pond on Saturday, with a double from NickyleWebber and another goal from Odean Irons. Green Pond's were scored by Michael McLeod and Otis Neish.

Spot Valley, in the meantime, lost their corresponding fixture 3-2 to St James High.

Bragging rights

The Zone D face-off between perennial arch-rivals St Mary High and St Mary Technical should generate much more than the customary bragging rights, as while a win for the 'technical boys' - which now have maximum 12 points from four games - would move them up to 15, defeat would see St Mary High joining them on 12.

When the teams met in preliminary action last year, St Mary High won the first round game 1-0, but St Mary Technical turned the tables in the return game, also registering a 1-0 win.

With the battle for the group's two inter-zone places now running red-hot, the Zone F clash between leader Munro College (13) and third-place DeCarteret (10) could be crucial, as with champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (11) expected to win against struggling Maggotty, the final results could completely alter the current standings.

Today's Games

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

Zone B:- Frome vs Hopewell at Frome Sports Ground, 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

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 DeCateret at Munro

Zone G:- Spaldings vs Christiana at Spaldings, Knox vs Cross Keyes at Knox, Manchester vs Alston at Manchester

Zone H:- Clarendon College vs Thompson Town at Chapleton, Edwin Allen vs Lennon at Edwin Allen

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

Zone J:- Bog Walk vs Charlemont at Bog Walk, Dinthill vs Ewarton at Dinthill

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

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