History-making Maldon want positive start

MALDON HIGH School coach Dillan Thelwell is already happy, even without playing a game of the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup second round.

Thelwell’s joy comes from having created history at Maldon, the side getting out of the first round for the first time in its history.

Though he is happy with the achievement, Thelwell says his team aren’t sitting on their laurels and have made plans that could give them three points against Brown’s Town when they play at 2 p.m. at Jarrett Park today.

Both schools finished second in their zones and will be facing each other for the first time.

They are in Group 4 with Munro College and Alphansus Davis High School.

“It took us three years now we have been working together. It is a big accomplishment for us as a family. It is a great achievement for the Maroon Town and Maldon community and all the other communities that have been supporting the boys. The school is very proud, and their spirits have been uplifted for the last 72 hours,” Thelwell said.

As for preparations, the aim is to play their style of football and, hopefully, things will work out for the best, said Thelwell.

“I don’t know much about our opponents. I tried doing some background checks but we didnt find anything. We expect to go out there and work hard. I don’t like to plan before the game, based on win, lose, or draw,” Thewell explained.

“Sometimes when you plan and it doesn’t go to plan, you will get disappointed. I tell the team to play our natural game, play to our abilities. Leave everything on the pitch and, hopefully, we can get three points.”

Meanwhile, Tyrone Codner, coach of Brown’s Town High School, said some players are suffering from the flu so not much work is being put in.

“We are more focused more than anything else on having the players recovering from the flu. I am assuming that both teams know little about each other. We are trying to research as much as we can, because that is very important,” Codner said

“I have been looking at a few clippings of the Maldon team and, of course, our boys will just go out there and do what they have been doing. That is, to score goals and seek to win the game. We are definitely looking to win but we know it won’t be easy,” he added.

“The boys are going out there to give it their best effort. Once they do that, whatever the outcome, personally, I will be satisfied,” Codner added.

According to Codner, Brown’s Town has never advanced past the second round.

Munro are the overwhelming favourites to advance to the next round. They have been neat, so far, but this wouldn’t mark the first time in recent times they have done that without any end product.

Today’s matches

Cornwall vs Kemps Hill

Christiana vs Garvey Maceo

Happy Grove vs Holmwood Tech

Ocho Rios vs Black River

McGarth vs St Mary

Manning’s vs Manchester

Munro vs Alphansus Davis

STETHS vs William Knibb

Paul Bogle vs Titchfield