Favourites St George’s bow into action against ‘Edith’
THE 2011 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup football competition continues today with nine matches across the Corporate Area. All matches are scheduled to start at 3:30 pm.
Group E favourites St George’s College, who won consecutive titles in 2008 and 2009, will entertain Edith Dalton James at Winchester Park, North Street, in what could turn out to be a one-sided affair.
Coach Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell told the Observer on Friday that his “young” team will not take the visitors lightly, despite coming out on top twice in the preliminary round last year.
“We are not going to take Edith Dalton James for granted because last season we beat them badly in one game and then got a bit of a scare in the return match.
“We have a young, but talented team and we should put in some pretty decent performances this year. We have five players, including the goalkeeper, who were a part of the national Under-17 World Cup squad and some other members of our team are also quite competent, so we should have a good season,” Bell said.
The other matches in the group will see Tarrant High hosting Meadowbrook High at Jacisera Park and St Catherine-based rivals Innswood High and Spanish Town High clashing at Chedwin Park.
In Group A, 2004 winners Excelsior High tackle Mona High at the Courtney Walsh Oval, while Holy Trinity will host Greater Portmore and St Catherine High are scheduled to challenge Calabar High at St John’s Road in Spanish Town.
Many eyes will be on the Mountain View Avenue-based Excelsior after former Waterhouse tactician Boris Johnson was brought in to fill the void left by veteran coach Leebert Halliman.
In Group C, former champions Charlie Smith will visit Portmore-based Ascot High, while Vauxhall High welcome east Kingston neighbours Dunoon Technical. Haile Selassie are scheduled to square off with the Ludlow Bernard-conditioned Wolmer’s Boys’ team at Tinson Pen.
Wolmer’s, playing without several of their national Under-17 players, won the recent St George’s College Invitational Tournament after defeating the ‘Light Blues’ 3-1 in the final at the latter’s North Street base.
The Manning Cup got underway on Saturday with reigning champions Jamaica College succumbing to a 0-1 defeat to an inspired Camperdown High team in the Group D opener at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, St James.
