AFTER losing at the semi-final stage of the Manning Cup for the second successive year, pre-season favourites Wolmer’s Boys will try to salvage their season when they take on Jamaica College (JC) in the Walker Cup Knockout final this afternoon at the National Stadium starting at 2:00 pm.

The game will be the curtain-raiser for the ISSA/Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup decider between defending champion St George’s College and Hydel High.

Wolmer’s coach Ludlow Bernard warned that JC better be at their best as they will be up against a wounded animal following their Manning Cup disappointment.

He said after losing to St George’s in last Saturday’s semi-finals, JC should be concerned with the Wolmer’s threat.

“Because we will be like a wounded animal coming to play them,” stated Bernard.

And based on the fact that the school has not won a trophy in over 18 years, and has not held the Walker Cup in 36 years, he said they will be approaching this game with one aim only, and that is to win the trophy.

“We have outlined to the players the importance of winning this trophy, because the school has been without a trophy for a long time… so that in itself is a motivation for the players.

“The players are disappointed that they will be playing the curtain-raiser game again for the second consecutive year. Nevertheless, we are quite comfortable that we are going at what would be considered one of the major schoolboy trophies,” Bernard told the Jamaica Observer yesterday.

The Wolmer’s coach says he has a lot of respect for his opponents, but he his confident his players’ ability will shine through at the end.

“Jamaica College are a very strong team, they have been consistent the entire season and we respect them. But we think that our ability and potential will come to the fore… and we always play good football inside the National Stadium,” noted Bernard.

The Heroes’ Circle school will be watching the fitness of Jason Greenland and Jaheel Hyde, who are down with the flu. Bernard said he hopes to have them up and running for the final, but if not, he claims to have adequate replacements.

Meanwhile, the Alfred Henry-coach JC, will take a tactical approach to the game and will not necessarily be putting out their best 11, according to assistant coach Delroy Brown.

Brown said the pressure to win will be on Wolmer’s, who he described as a bunch of individuals who are not very cohesive.

“We are coming into this match with no pressure…. Wolmer’s are the ones who are under pressure, because if they don’t win this title, they will be seen as underachievers, but we don’t have to carry that burden with us,” he reasoned

He said although this is not the major trophy, JC take all their matches seriously and will take a new approach to the game.

“We are going to approach this game a little different from how we normally approach games… we are going into the match tactically based on the opposition we are playing… this is our last match and we are not holding back anything,” he said.