After a disappointing run in the quarter-final round of the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup competition, head coach for Charlie Smith High Eugene Williams says he is hoping that his players will show up in good spirits for their Walker Cup quarter-final clash with arch-rival Tivoli Gardens today.

The game is set for Winchester Park at 3:00 pm.

Charlie Smith had lost all of their quarter-final matches in the Manning Cup, failing to advance to the semi-finals. They went down 0-4 to Mona High; 0-5 to defending champions Kingston College; and 1-4 to St George’s College.

Williams stated that the main goal at the moment is to mentally prepare his players for competition and, hopefully, to win.

“The players are kind of down at the moment, and so we are trying to motivate them to come out and do their best. We have a couple of guys who won’t be a part of the team next season, and we are trying to motivate them to at least make their names called on something,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“We are out of the Manning Cup, and so let us try to get it right in the Walker Cup, to go home with some silverware. I just want them to come out and put their best foot forward and make us do this. Playing against Tivoli Gardens is always going to be an exciting match,” Williams added.

Tivoli Gardens, on the other hand, never made it past the second round after losing twice to Mona High. They lost 0-2 in the first leg and then 1-3 in the return leg.

Head coach for Tivoli Gardens Christopher Nicholas said that his team is coming into the game with one aim, and that is to go home as the winners.

“I think our changes are very high. I mean, we’re going all-in on this game. We are going into the game to win,” Nicholas said.

“We need this Walker Cup… we have like 10 players who cannot play again next season, and even though the majority of them are on the bench, that doesn’t matter; we still want to give them something to go out with.

“We are going all out. We are expecting a good game from Charlie Smith, but expect a high-tempo game from us as we are coming for the win and nothing less,” said the former Jamaica international.

— Ruddy Allen