Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Eltham High's Tremaine Stewart (centre) ... a key player in today's Walker Cup final against Jamaica College. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

ELTHAM HIGH and Jamaica College will have their sights set on creating history as both teams hope to embrace the ISSA/Pepsi/JN Walker Cup for the first time when they meet in the 3:00 p.m. final at the National Stadium East field today.

A plucky performance by Jamaica College saw them book their spot in the final with a hard-fought 4-2 penalty shoot-out win over a favoured Charlie Smith team. However, it was Eltham, Walker Cup debutants, who stole the show in the competition's semi-final stage as they handed defending Manning Cup champions Calabar a 3-2 defeat. In fact, a brilliant first-half display by the St. Catherine team had seen them floor the Red Hills Road side 3-0 before conceding two quick goals in the second half.

No great shock

Eltham's victory was, however, no great shock as they have retained most of their core from a very talented team last year. Midfield whiz Tremaine Stewart, who put on a dazzling display in the semi, hard-working front man Dwayne Hunter, who netted a brace in the Calabar game, reliable custodian Kelso Cousins and talented right-flank player Tamoy Sibbles make them truly a dangerous team.

In fact, they will definitely start favourites today and should prevail against a Jamaica College team which, while also having an excellent work ethic, will sorely miss their inspirational midfielder Keammar Daley, who is away on duties with the national team at the Under-20 World Cup qualification tournament in Haiti. If they are to emerge on top they will need a big game from Dewayne Williams, who will look to push the team forward in Daley's absence.

But Jamaica College will not be the only ones to miss Daley as many fans would have been looking forward to a showdown between Daley and Stewart, perhaps schoolboy football's top middle men.