Anchovy tackle mighty Rusea's

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

With the bid to close the competition's first round on a high of paramount interest to most teams, high-quality football should be the order of the day when action resumes in the 2011-12 ISSA/Gatorade/Digicel daCosta Cup rural schoolboy football competition this afternoon in western Jamaica with six scheduled games in Zones A and B, and two rescheduled games - one in Zone C and the other in Zone F.

In Zone B, defending champions and runaway Zone B leaders Rusea's, which met and dismissed the challenge of the highly fancied Frome Technical 2-0 on Saturday, will take on a confident Anchovy High, the only other team in the group pundits feel can test Rusea's.

With three wins and a loss in their four outings to date, the Anchovy team, which is having a fairly decent season by their standards, should be fairly high on confidence following their 3-2 win against Maldon on Saturday. However, it will be interesting to see whether or not they will be intimidated by the rampaging 'Russians'.

"We having been treating all our opponents quite seriously and we will again be doing the same against Anchovy," said Rusea's coach Anthony 'Follies' Williams. "Having played a tough game on Saturday, we will just have to do what is required to get the boys sharp and ready."

In Saturday's game against Frome, prolific striker Brian 'Rambo' Brown, who did not trouble the scorers in the previous game, netted both goals for Rusea's to lift his season tally to 10 goals and the team's total to an ominous-looking 25 unanswered goals.

In Zone A, where former champions St James High appear to be the only team displaying consistently good form, an interesting afternoon looms as the battle for crucial points intensifies. Unless something unusual happens, runaway leaders St James, with maximum 12 points, should get the better of a seemingly tame Muschett High at Jarrett Park.

However, the big game in Zone A should be the clash between Green Pond, fresh from Saturday's 4-1 demolition of Cornwall College; and Spot Valley, which tagged Irwin High 3-1. With just three points, the Green Pond team should be desperate, while Spot Valley, in joint second place with Cornwall College on seven points each, will not want to stumble at this time.

The other Zone A game between Irwin and William Knibb should also be interesting as both teams are slightly off the pace on four points each and should be anxious to improve their standings in the group.

In the rescheduled games, Albert Town will oppose Cedric Titus in Zone C and Munro College battle Lacovia High in Zone F. All the games are slated for 3:30 p.m. starts.