4 weeks ago
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FOLLOWING THEIR semi-final exit at the hands of neighbouring school Garvey Maceo in last year’s daCosta Cup football competition, Glenmuir High School are hoping to go all the way this time around.
Undoubtedly the top team heading into last year’s semi-finals, Glenmuir boasted the likes of Orane Watson, Orel Miller, and Dunsting Cohen, whose goal-scoring sprees saw the Clarendon-based team netting the most in the competition. They were favourites to win it all but were denied by Garvey Maceo — a team they had dominated in the preliminary round.
Beaten finalists in 2023, where they were overwhelmed 6-2 by Clarendon College, and back-to-back Champions Cup winners after getting by Jamaica College 3-1 last year, the Andre Peart-coached team showed at last weekend’s Clarendon Elite Schoolboy Competition that they will be a force to be reckoned with once again.
Playing at home, they recorded a 5-0 win over Belair, 4-1 over Munro, and a 2-0 victory over Vere Technical in the final, with Miller leading the way with four goals.
Assistant coach Ashani Mullings, heading into his second season as part of the coaching staff, is hoping the team will be there on the final day of the competition and is encouraged by the performance of the players in the recent preseason tournament.
“We liked what we saw over the three days of competition, as we rotated players to see where they’ll fit when the season starts. It was a work in progress for the team and not about sending a strong message,” said Mullings, when asked if their win was meant as a statement to opponents.
With the return of three of their top players up front, Mullings was asked about the team’s strength this season.
“I must say we are not singling out any particular area, as the objective is to play hard in every game and hope for positive results,” he continued.
Retaining most of last year’s players, he sees this as a big plus.
“We do have a strong squad—we’ve only lost four players from last year, but we’ve retained the main core, and that experience will be good for the team,” he said.
Despite back-to-back Champions Cup wins, the target this time around is to challenge for the daCosta Cup title.
“We’ve assessed what went wrong last year, we’re hoping to correct our mistakes, and hopefully, the team will be there to play on the final day and go all the way.”
Mullings also called on supporters to stay behind the team.
“We are just asking our fans to continue supporting the team. The players are ready to give their best, and hopefully, the team will be playing in the final and go all the way,” he said.
Glenmuir, drawn in Group I, will have champions Garvey Maceo, last year’s Ben Francis Knockout semi-finalist Denbigh, Vere Technical, Winston Jones, Foga Road, Bustamante, and Kemps Hill High for company in the daCosta Cup’s first round.
English (US) ·