SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Fireworks are expected this afternoon with at least 15 schools still in contention for a place in the inaugural ISSA/LIME Super Cup football competition, as the Inter-zone round of the daCosta Cup comes to a close.

The winners of the eight Inter-zone groups will qualify for the Super Cup which will also have its draw this morning to decide the first-round match-ups against the top eight Manning Cup teams.

Seven schools led by daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) have won their first two games and need only a draw to qualify for the Super Cup.

Teams will also be on the hunt for places in the expanded quarter-finals as the top two teams from the Inter-zone groups will advance.

The unavailability of the Juici Field today has forced a number of changes to the schedule.

The game between Clarendon College and Lacovia High will be played at Kirkvine starting at 3:00 pm, while the Glenmuir High vs Vere Technical game will be played at Jamalco starting at 1:00 pm.

The Holmwood Technical vs Edwin Allen game will now be played tomorrow at Kirkvine starting at 3:00 pm.

STETHS will meet Manchester High in a thrilling repeat of last season’s Ben Francis KO finals that STETHS won 2-0 at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex.

In another game pitting teams with perfect win records in the Inter-zone round, Old Harbour High and Cedric Titus will meet at Drax Hall.

Clarendon College, St James High and Garvey Maceo have also won their first two games and should advance to the Super Cup, having already secured their place in the quarter-finals.

In Santa Cruz, Manchester High will seek to get the better of STETHS who have beaten them in three finals over the last five years and must win if they are to qualify for the Super Cup as both schools have already qualified for the quarter-finals of the daCosta Cup.

Manchester High have shrugged off the loss of six points for using an ineligible player, that saw them finish second in the first-round group and are yet to concede a goal in the Inter-zone so far.

They will come up against the free-scoring STETHS whose eight goals represent the most scored by any school so far. Donjay Smith has scored five times in the two games, including a hat-trick against Edwin Allen on Saturday.

Isamnia Cohen, who was invited to the national team last year, will lead the Manchester High attack against a STETHS defence that has only allowed one goal in the Inter-zone.

Old Harbour High will hope to defy the odds and advance after qualifying to the Inter-zone round as one of the best third-placed teams, but will face a confident Cedric Titus team.

A number of zones are wide open with up to three teams in contention for the Super Cup spot. Cornwall College lead Zone One with four points ahead of Petersfield on three, and a win over Rusea’s at Jarrett Park would secure their place.

After losing to Petersfield, Rusea’s High bounced back with a courageous performance against Muschett High, holding them 0-0. It was the second straight 0-0 draw for Muschett, who must now beat Petersfield if they are to return to the quarter-finals.

Green Pond are on top in Zone Two with four points, one more than Godfrey Stewart, who they will play at Frome Sports Grounds.

With Frome expected to beat William Knibb, it could come down to the result of the Green Pond vs Godfrey Stewart game where the former would only need a draw.

Mile Gully would advance to the quarter-finals from Zone Four with a win over Christiana and Clarendon beating Lacovia High, who could still advance even with a loss today.

Zone Six is wide open, but Dinthill Technical and Marcus Garvey need only a draw to advance to the quarter-finals. Both are on four points and have the same goal difference of one goal, but Dinthill lead with more goals scored.

After losing for the first time this season when they were beaten by St James High on Saturday, Glenmuir High should bounce back against Vere Technical and move on to the quarter-finals.

Games on today

Muschett High vs Petersfield High @ Jarrett Park @ 1:00 pm

Cornwall College vs Rusea’s High @ Jarrett Park @ 3:00 pm

Godfrey Stewart vs Green Pond @ Frome @ 1:00 pm

Frome Tech vs William Knibb @ Frome @ 3:00 pm

STETHS vs Manchester @ STETHS @ 3:00 pm

Mile Gully High vs Christiana @ Kirkvine @ 1:00 pm

Clarendon College vs Lacovia High @ Kirkvine @ 1:00 pm

Glenmuir High vs Vere Tech @ Jamalco @ 1:00 pm

Fair Prospect vs Brimmervale High @ Snow Hill @ 1:00 pm

Titchfield vs Dinthill Tech @ Snow Hill @ 3:00 pm

Cedric Titus High vs Old Harbour High @ Drax Hall @ 3:00 pm

Oracabessa High vs Marcus Garvey Tech @ Oracabessa Comm Centre @ 3:00 pm

Morant Bay High vs St James High @ Lysson @ 3:00 pm

Ewarton High vs Paul Bogle High @ Bramwell Clarke @ 3:00 pm

Kemps Hill vs Garvey Maceo @ Jamalco @ 3:00 pm

Jourdaine Fletcher of Cornwall College is about to cross the ball as Petersfield Jason McIntosh rushes in to block the ball in Saturday’s ISSA/LIME Inter-zone round game at Jarrett Park. (PHOTO: PAUL REID)