Time for the big boys

THOUGH THEY had their 100 per cent win record scratched in the last round of the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup football competition, defending champions Clarendon College are only now about to face real tests.

The quarterfinals of the rural area schoolboy football competition gets underway today with some scrumptious matchups, and Clarendon College’s game against Christiana High School should be no different.

While Christiana only finished second behind Dinthill Technical in the round of 16, they were only beaten 1-0 by that team. They are tough and difficult to contend with.

Just the sort of team that can test the patience and character of a Clarendon team, who have largely had it all their own way up to this point.

Clarendon face Christiana at Manchester High School at 3:00 p.m.

In other games, today, Glenmuir play against Manchester at Glenmuir. Manchester, while dominant in the first two rounds, had a blip against BB Coke that threatened to eliminate them in the round of 16.

And while Glenmuir were a little more comfortable, they too faced their own mortality in the round of 16, when they could not shake away the challenge of Garvey Maceo. Both teams are looking to get back to what could be considered their best but will find they have met their polar opposites.

BB Coke have grown massively and look like serious contenders, dismissing their round-of-16 opponents, including the more highly fancied Manchester, to make it to the quarters but play Garvey Maceo, who while not winning their round of 16 group, can claim more pedigree at this stage of the competition.

Dinthill Technical have looked the part on occasion and have had to fight to get here, finding no games easy in a round of 16 that included McGrath, Christiana and William Knibb but face a resurgent Cornwall College, who only made it into the quarterfinals by a single goal in the goal difference column.

Today’s Games

Clarendon College vs Christiana at Manchester

Glenmuir vs Manchester at Glenmuir

BB Coke vs Garvey Maceo at STETHS

Dinthill vs Cornwall College at Ewarton Sports Complex

NB: All games begin at 3 p.m.