Rusea's setto advance

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Eight-time champions Rusea's High are poised to become the first inter-zone qualifiers in the 2010 ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup rural area senior schoolboy football competition, as a win against Maldon High in this afternoon's Zone B fixture in Lucea, Hanover, will lift them to an unassailable 18 points.

To date, the 'Russians', who are conditioned by the experienced duo of Emerson 'Diggy' Henry and Anthony 'Follies' Williams, have had a perfect win record from five games. In the first round, they defeated Maldon (3-0), Hopewell High (4-0), Herbert Morrison (3-1) and Frome Technical (2-0) and in their lone second-round match, they defeated Hopewell 1-0.

"Our plan is to win the zone and qualify for the Ben Francis Knock-Out, so qualifying for the inter-zone is not enough for us," said Williams.

Breathing space

"Early qualification will, nonetheless, give us some breathing space as last year we had to wait until the final game before we were sure we would have won the zone," he added.

Rusea's enviable position stems from the fact that only one of two teams - second-place Frome Technical (six points from three games) and third-place Herbert Morrison (three point from three games) - can reach 18 points, which in effect means a win today will give them one of the group's two inter-zone places.

In Zone D, the top-of-the-table clash between leaders St Mary Technical (12) and second-place Annotto Bay (10) should be very interesting.

Today's games

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

Zone B: Hopewell High vs Herbert Morrison at Kenilworth, Rusea's vs Maldon at Rusea's

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

Zone D: Brimmer Vale vs St Mary High at Brimmer Vale, St Mary Tech vs Annotto Bay at Richmond Prison Farm, Iona vs Islington at Rio Neuvo

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

Zone F: Maggotty vs Lacovia at Maggotty, Mile Guly vs Munro at Mile Gully, STETHS vs DeCarteret at STETHS

Zone I: Tacius Golding vs Central at Bodles, Kemps Hill vs Garvey Maceo at Kemps Hill, Glenmuir vs Denbigh at Brancourt

Zone K: Titchfield vs Buff Bay at Titchfield, Happy Grove vs Port Antonio at Happy Grove

Zone L: Morant Bay vs Yallahs at Morant Bay, St Thomas Technical vs Robert Lighbourne at Eastern Banana