Alston, A. Gallimore showdown By Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter WESTERN BUREAU: ALSTON High and Aabuthnott Gallimore will meet in today's feature Pepsi/Sports Plus daCosta Cup schoolboy football game. Both teams lead Zone G with maximum six points from two wins and are among three teams that will be going after their third win today. Zone H leaders Edwin Allen who will play away to Central High are also on six points. In one other game involving zone leaders, Merelene Ottey High will host former winners Rusea's Comprehensive in a Zone B game at Pond Side in Hanover. Dellon Ennevour scored the fourth hat-trick of the season in Zone E as Lacovia beat home team Maggoty 4-0 in a rescheduled game yesterday. Derval Thompson got the other goal. Lacovia bounced back well from their gut wrenching 1-0 loss to Munro last Friday to move into joint second place, both on three points, one behind leaders St. Elizabeth Technical. In the Zone G feature today, Aabuthnott Gallimore who sat out the last season, has a slight marginal lead over Alston with a plus-three goal-differential to Alston's plus-two. Alston, who have already equalled last year's total of two wins have however scored more goals and will be hoping the strike force led by Floyd Harris who scored the winning goal last Saturday against Mile Gully be able to make more use of their chances. Aabuthnott Gallimore is yet to concede a goal in two outings and their defence will play a key role in today's outcome. Edwin Allen, the other team hoping to make it three wins straight should maintain their lead in Zone H, as Central are not expected to provide any sustained resistance. Edwin Allen have won both games, scoring six goals and conceding just one. Their opponents on the other hand have scored three times but have allowed five in two matches. Former champions Vere Technical and Clarendon College are also expected to score their second wins and keep pace with Edwin Allen. Vere will be away to Knox while Clarendon College will be home to Claude McKay. In Zone B Merlene Ottey High will be hosting the biggest game of their short daCosta Cup history when the seven time champions Rusea's travel there this afternoon. Merlene Ottey find themselves in uncharted waters, at the top of the points standings with Rusea's and Anchovy and how they handle today's game will show their true mettle. All three are on four points each from two games. Merlene Ottey scored their first ever win at this level last week when they turned back Green Island 2-1 then followed up with an even tougher result, holding Frome to a 1-1 draw on Saturday. Rusea's are coming off a hard fought 1-1 draw at Anchovy but showed sparks that they could be a factor in the zone this year. Strikers Dwayne Jumpp, captain Rikardo Collins and Fabian Forbes could prove to be a handful. Rusea's have managed just two goals in their two matches so far and this should be a concern for the coaching staff. Granted however they opened against the best two teams on paper in the zone and is still unbeaten to their credit. Rusea's won both games played between both teams last season but managed only a 1-0 margin in the game played at Pond Side last year. Anchovy who lead the zone on goal difference should win again today when they go to Green Island. Kemar Sterling, Mervin Campbell and Steven Forrester will be a handful for the Green Island defence that has so far conceded five goals. YESTERDAY'S RESULT Zone E Magotty 0 Lacovia 4 TODAY'S GAMES Zone B Grange Hill vs Frome Merelene Ottey vs Rusea's Green Island vs Anchovy Zone F May Day vs Denbigh Porus vs Manchester Bellefield vs Cross Keys Zone G Alston vs Aabuthnott Gallimore Spalding vs Holmwood Mile Gully vs Christiana Zone H Knox vs Vere Central vs Edwin Allen Clarendon vs Claude McKay All games kick off at 3.30 p.m. Home teams named first.
|
