By Paul A. Reid, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Frome Technical and Glenmuir High will be seeking to stay on course for the rural area schoolboy football double this afternoon when they take on Titchfield High and Dinthill Technical respectively in the semi-finals of the daCosta Cup.
Frome and Glenmuir are already in next Saturday's Ben Francis Knockout semi-finals and wins today would see them staying on course to be the first team to win the double since 2001 when Cornwall College lifted both.
Frome will meet last year's beaten finalists Titchfield at Drax Hall while Glenmuir and Dinthill meet at Prison Oval starting at 2:45 p.m. to ensure the games are completed in natural light should extra-time and penalties be needed to decided the winners.
Frome Technical, who appeared to have peaked at the right time, have not conceded a goal since October 30 when they came from behind to beat William Knibb in the inter-zone round, a stretch of five games in both competitions.
ADVANTAGE
The Boysie Nicholson-coached team will also have a psychological edge over Titchfield after beating them in the previous two meetings including a Ben Francis K.O. first round game at the same venue last year.
Titchfield will be hoping to go one better than last season when they just came up short in the final and coach Andrew Edwards will be banking on leading scorer Denroy Dennis and Troy Hamilton to take them to their first win over the Westmoreland school.
Despite losing their first game in the previous round, two-time
winners Dinthill managed to advance to the top four for the first time this year and Frank Brown will be hoping to advance to the final ahead of the red-hot Glenmuir team.
On paper, Glenmuir must start favourites with their arsenal of national players but their allowing three goals in the last round may indicate some defensive weakness.
With Carnell Learmond, Donovan Miller and Ricardo Cousins, they should be strong enough to force their way into their first final since 2001.
TODAY'S GAMES
Frome vs Titchfield Drax Hall
Glenmuir vs Dinthill Prison Oval
Games start at 2:45 p.m.
