By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter 
Bridgeport's Mark Newson (left) and Norman Manley's Kearn Binns (right) - File
THERE WILL be a major showdown at the Spanish Town Prison Oval this afternoon when the four best teams in the Manning Cup competition take part in a doubleheader.
The curtain-raiser at 1:00 p.m. will see Excelsior face the resilient Dunoon and defending champs Norman Manley tackle the mighty Bridgeport in the feature match at 3:30 p.m.
"Norman Manley were the ones that beat us in the Walker Cup and we are going for them seriously," said Bridgeport's coach, Anthony Patrick, of his team's crucial match-up today.
Being a St. Catherine team, Bridgeport have a clear advantage just on location. However, in the Walker Cup quarter-finals, Bridgeport had a poor showing and were outplayed by 'Manley' on their home turf, Ferdie Neita Park. Since then, they have shone, leading all teams in the second round on goal difference and executing to near perfection.
MANLEY'S STRONG BACK-LINE
Bridgeport's leading goalscorer, Andrew Dryden (13), and forward Kemar Grant must execute against the strong back-line of Norman Manley.
This match-up will be interesting because Bridgeport and 'Manley' appear evenly matched in the back-line and in the forward position. What will most likely dictate each team's scoring chances is the distribution of the ball through the midfield.
Excelsior's coach, Leebert Halliman, said that his team's tactical approach to the game had taken them this deep in the competition. Halliman seems to have implemented a strict work ethic in his boys, pretty much the same way he did in 1987 to lead STATHS to a Manning Cup title and Kingston Technical to the Walker Cup championship in 1991.
Halliman, though, has been criticised for using one forward to attack but talented forward and national Under-17 representative Ricardo Ximines has proven himself capable of breaking down defences and unleashing powerful shots.
Halliman said that his team analysed each opponent and examined its strengths and weaknesses before the game and that he will continue to take it "one step at a time".
PLAY VERY HARD
"This is the round that you will have to run very hard and play very hard," Halliman said.
Like Excelsior, Dunoon have a national Under-17 representative in Michael Benbow. Benbow controls Dunoon's back-line and the team seem to respond to his instructions.
Dunoon almost did not make it to the second round after a first-round struggle and their coach Carlton Smith is not completely satisfied with their performance but said that after making it this far, his team was definitely eyeing the ultimate prize.
"It would be foolhardy to confess that we don't have that (winning the finals) in the back of our thoughts. But from a coach's perspective, the players must be galvanised to accept one game at a time. But overall, the team management, in terms of coaches, we have this (winning everything) as a projection," Smith said.
"We have to sit down now and look at our mistakes. We got the chance to look at our mistakes and got to nullify them (Donald Quarrie in second round) and come prepared for the better teams that are up in the higher echelons," he said.
