daCosta berths on the line Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
WESTERN BUREAU:
THE EIGHT quarter-finalists in the Pepsi/Sports Plus daCosta Cup schoolboys' football competition will be decided this afternoon following the playing of the third and final set of matches in the Inter-Zone round. As many as 13 teams are in with a chance of claiming one of the spots in the next round. Four schools, defending champions Cornwall College, St. James High, Black River Comprehensive and Happy Grove will need just a point from their games to secure the group honours and automatic qualification. The winners of each of the six groups plus two best second place finishers will advance to the next round that gets underway next Saturday. Of the 12 games on schedule today, there will be two involving joint leaders, in Group Two between St James High and Rusea's Comprehensive and in Group Five between Happy Grove and Glenmuir. Four schools, Cornwall College in Group One, St. James High and Rusea's Comprehensive in Group Two and Black River in Group Four have won both games so far. Of those teams with perfect win records in the Inter-Zone round only Cornwall, St. James and Black River would automatically advance with a point. Former seven times champions Rusea's could also advance if they manage a point against St. James but would have to depend on the other results to advance as one of the best second place teams. Bellefield, the most prolific team so far in the Inter-Zone could advance ahead of Black River however with a win. Both schools would finish on six points but Bellefield would finish with a better goal differential, thanks in a large part to their 7-0 drubbing of Aabuthnott Gallimore in the first set of games. This mouth-watering match-up which will be played at Porus, will be one of five which will be crucial to the teams with hopes of advancing. Bellefield and Black River have combined for 99 goals so far, Bellefield scoring a mind-boggling 50, one more than Black River. Both teams will be affected by injuries however and might not be at full strength. Bellefield went down 2-1 to Vere on Wednesday but if they are able to get most of their players on the field, could spring a surprise. The Bellefield team has more than one target man as any of Cleon Barrett, Chadrick Morgan and Clayton Berry could pose a problem for the Black River defence. TODAY'S GAMES Group One: Grange Hill vs Cornwall College at Jarrett Park, 4:30 p.m. Petersfield vs Cedric Titus at Elleston-Wakeland Centre Group Two: Rusea's vs St. James High - Jarrett Park, 2:30 p.m. Little London vs Ferncourt at Addison Park Group Three: Porus vs Munro at Alpart Spalding vs Edwin Allen at Woodside Group Four: Bellefield vs Black River at Porus Aabuthnott Gallimore vs Vere at Brancourt Field Group Five: Happy Grove vs Glenmuir at GC Foster College St Mary Technical vs Dinthill at Bybrook Estate Group Six: St Thomas Technical vs Old Harbour at Eastern Bananas Islington vs Charlemont at Clemhards Park All games except the Jarrett Park double-header will start at 3:30 p.m.
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