Champs Excelsior face St Catherine with Manning Cup quarter-finals in sight
DEFENDING champions Excelsior High could book their ISSA Manning Cup football quarter-final spot when they face St Catherine High, while Mona High are in a must-win contest against St George’s College as the competition continues with six games this afternoon.
Excelsior, fresh from their 6-1 demolition of Mona High on Saturday, are scheduled to take on St Catherine at Stadium East knowing very well that a win would lift them to six points and a last-eight spot. Kick-off time is 2:30 pm.
St Catherine, on a point after battling to a 1-1 result versus St George’s College, would know the ramification if they lose, as their chances of advancing would be next to none.
But the way Excelsior looked on Saturday, St Catherine will have to play out of their skins to get anything out of this game.
In the other Zone 1 encounter, Walker Cup finalists Mona High, who are without a point, must beat St George’s College (one point) when they clash at Ashenheim Stadium, starting at 2:30 pm.
A defeat for Mona would be disastrous but not necessarily fatal, as long as St Catherine fail to win. A victory for St George’s would put destiny in their hands.
Many-time champions Kingston College (KC) could move a step closer to the quarter-final when they play Camperdown High in Zone 2 action at Stadium East at 4:30 pm.
KC lead the group with three points, following their 3-1 win over Vauxhall High, and are fancied to secure maximum points against a Camperdown team that was defeated 1-2 by Calabar High.
Calabar and Vauxhall are to face off in a crucial encounter at Emmett Park, starting at 3:00 pm. Calabar are sitting on three points while Vauxhall, who are without a point, must win or face elimination.
Zone 3 will see a top-of-the-table clash between St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) and Wolmer’s Boys’ at Waterhouse Stadium, starting at 4:30 pm.
The teams are on three points each, with STATHS, who whipped Hillel Academy 6-0, leading based on a superior goal difference. Wolmer’s Boys’ downed St Jago 4-1 in their opening match of the round.
St Jago and Hillel, both without a point, are set to clash at Spanish Town Prison Oval at 3:00 pm, hoping to get off the mark and keep their respective seasons alive.
