Return legs, revenge, missed opportunities highlight d’Cup

CORNWALL COLLEGE and Irwin High School’s battle at the top of Zone A in the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup football competition reset today, with return-leg games taking centre stage.

There will be a doubleheader at Cornwall College beginning at 1:30 p.m. where second-place Irwin (15 points) take on third-place St James (11), in a bid, for at least a few hours, to wrest leadership of the group from Cornwall, who are just two points clear at the top of the zone on 17.

In a matter of two hours at the same venue, Cornwall will know if they will be forced to win when they take on fifth-place Green Pond High School, who have only managed four points at 3:30 p.m.

The last time Irwin faced St James on September 25 at Jarrett Park there was nothing separating the teams. On that occasion, Irwin’s Kenoy Morant had given Irwin the lead in the 25th minute but found his strike cancelled out in the 67th through Ramoy Brown’s effort.

Cornwall, on the other hand, had an easy time of their first outing against Green Pond at Green Pond, running out 3-1 winners.

Also in Zone A, fourth-place Maldon take on last-place Spot Valley.

With three return-leg games to play and nine points up for grabs, the two teams, locked on four points, still have a mathematical chance of making it to the second round if they can book one of the three best third places on offer. But the chance is only mathematical and in reality the teams are entertaining last hurrahs.

In total, there will be 16 games played around the island.

One of the more interesting of these is a matchup between Knockalva and Petersfield.

While Knockalva are firmly rooted to the bottom of Zone D, the game is still of massive importance to Petersfield, who are in third place on seven points, three behind Black River but having played a game more.

Black River, themselves, will be eyeing the game, even as they go to Grange Hill, who are fourth in the five-team group.

Over in Zone H, there will also be some interest in the faltering Lennon side, who with nine points are fourth in their five-team group.

Clarendon College lead the group with a perfect 18 points from six games and are followed by Edwin Allen on 15 from a similar number of encounters.

In third are Thompson Town, who Lennon will welcome at 3:30 p.m. Both have nine points and must be eyeing one of those best third place spots.

In terms of finding a game where teams should be very close in quality, at Effortville, third-place in Zone L Central High take on first-place Glenmuir.

The last times the teams met, at Glenmuir, the game, expected to be a tight affair, was anything but, the hosts running out 5-1 winners.

Central, apart from needing points to move up from their current third place, also want to prove that the hiding they received at the hands of Glemuir was a one-off instance and didn’t reflect a dearth in the quality of the two teams.

Today’s Games

Game Venue Time

Irwin vs St James Cornwall College 1:30 p.m.

Cornwall vs Green Pond Cornwall College 3:30 p.m.

Maldon vs Spot Valley Maldon 3:30 p.m.

Cambridge vs Green Island Cambridge 3:30 p.m.

Grange Hill vs Black River Llandilo Sports Complex 3:30 p.m.

Knockalva vs Petersfield Knockalva 3:30 p.m.

Lennon vs Thompson Town Lennon 3:30 p.m.

Clarendon vs Claude McKay Clarendon College 3:30 p.m.

Kellits vs Edwin Allen Crofts Hill 3:30 p.m.

Enid Bennett vs Ewarton Brybrook Sports Club 3:30 p.m.

Dinthill vs Charlemont Dinthill 3:30 p.m.

Robert Lightbourne vs Paul Bogle Robert Lightbourne 3:30 p.m.

Old Harbour vs Porus TBA 3:30 p.m.

Central vs Glenmuir Effortville 3:30 p.m.

Tacius Golding vs Foga Road Tacius Golding 3:30 p.m.

Vere vs Garvey Maceo Carder Park 3:30 p.m.