1 month ago
11
Manchester High will be seeking to earn their first win of the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup season on the field when they face May Day High at the May Day Sports Complex in Mandeville t0day at 3:30 p.m.
The Mandeville-based Manchester High already have three points, but those were awarded after Cross Keys High forfeited their opening Zone F game last weekend.
Donovan Duckie, coach of Manchester High, has an inexperienced team this season but expects to win the away game against lowly May Day, who were clipped 1-0 by Mount St Joseph Catholic on Tuesday. Victory today would put Manchester on six points and top spot in the zone ahead of Belair High. Belair lead the zone on goal difference after blanking DeCarteret College 4-0 on Tuesday.
“We want to start the competition with a win, and that is what we call the icebreaker for us now. This is our first game, and the players are looking forward to it after months of preparation,” Duckie said.
Manchester are no strangers to moving past the first round. In fact, in seasons 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2023, they finished atop their zone.
In the quarterfinal round last season, Manchester finished third in Group A, losing two of their three games. They were beaten 4-0 by defending champions Clarendon College and lost 2-0 to Glenmuir High. Their only win was a 3-1 victory over Christiana High who finished at the bottom of the group.
May Day’s coach, Uel Thompson, said that he doesn’t believe going into any match that his team will be seen as underdogs.
“I don’t know where they got that phrase from, but I never believe in those things. We are coming out to do our best and put up a fight until the end. The better team will win. There is no situation where I ever considered my team as the underdogs,” said Thompson, who has been the coach for three years.
According to Thompson, the team has always failed to advance to the second round of the competition, but expectations are high that they will do so this season after winning four games last year.
Today’s matches
May Day vs Manchester
Cross Keys vs Belair
Mt St Joseph Catholic vs DeCarteret
Mile Gully vs Christiana
Denbigh vs Claude McKay
Thompson Town vs Central
Old Harbour vs Winston Jones
Tacius Golding vs McGrath
Aabuthnott Gallimore vs Browns Town
Marcus Garvey vs Ocho Rios
Bellefield vs Knox College
All games kick off at 3:30 p.m.
English (US) ·