- Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer
Kingston Technical's Ramon Boland (right) prepares to kick the ball before he is challenged by St. Catherine's Andrew Lennon during their JN/Pepsi/ISSA Manning Cup match at Clan Carthy High on Thursday. The game ended 0-0.

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Defending Champions Calabar will look return to winning ways when they take on St. George's College in today's feature game of the ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning competition 3:30 p.m. at Emmet Park.

Four games are on today's schedule and the other three have been scheduled for Constant Spring. These matches will see Norman Manley opening the triple header with a mid-day showdown against Edith Dalton James, Camperdown going up against Campion College at 2:00 p.m. and Pembroke Hall meeting Wolmer's in the feature clash at the venue at 4:00 p.m.

Calabar, who went down 0-1 to Jamaica College in their last outing, face a tough opposition in St. George's College who are riding high after a 4-0 thrashing of Cumberland on Thursday.

A win for either team will see them pulling level on nine points with Jamaica College, who have won all their previous matches and are holding a better goal average over their rivals.

In their charge for victory, the boys from Red Hills Road will be looking to the experienced trio of Ramone Palmer, Marlon Smith and Lennox Creary, all of whom played a pivotal roll in Calabar's success last season.

Strong belief

They blanked this St. George's team 3-0 in the season's opening match at Jarrett Park, and will no doubt take the field with a strong belief that they can repeat as winners, despite the fact that they will be contending this return match on their opponents' home ground.

Their defence conceded a fair number of chances in that opening match, but they have made improvements since and have not conceded a goal in their past two matches.

Additionally, the 'Light Blues' from North Street missed a few clear-cut scoring chances in the first match-up against Calabar and will be hoping to make good with those opportunities this time against their formidable opponents, to remain on course for a place in the second round.

St. George's hopes for a victory is expecially crucial, given that they have played one more game than Calabar's three.

In the other contests, Norman Manley (six points) are tipped to reel off a third consecutive win against Edith Dalton, who have won once and lost twice.

Camperdown, on four points, self-destruct through goalkeeping errors last time out, but could rebound against Campion, while Wolmer's are favoured to notch another win over ungainly Pembroke Hall.

In yesterday's games, Bridgeport defeated Ardenne 3-2, and St. Jago edged Mona 2-1.