Excelsior, St Jago in fierce top-of-the-table clash

A FIERCELY contested encounter is expected this afternoon when hosts Excelsior entertain St Jago in the top-of-the-table ISSA/WATA Manning Cup Zone A clash at the Courtney Walsh Oval. Match time is 3 p.m.

Both teams, who have been playing well this season, will put their unbeaten records on the line in today’s massive showdown. St Jago lead the zone with 15 points, three ahead of Excelsior, who have a game in hand.

They are followed by Hydel and St George’s College on nine points each, Jonathan Grant and Holy Trinity with six apiece, and Bridgeport and Gaynstead, who are on zero.

The Spanish Town-based St Jago will enter today’s clash full of confidence, having scored 19 goals without conceding. Excelsior will also be feeling confident, having scored 24 goals while conceding just once.

Keon Brodrick, head coach of Excelsior, who were beaten by Mona in last year’s final of the Walker Cup Knockout competition, said his team is upbeat going into today’s contest.

“We are feeling pretty confident in our abilities and what we are capable of doing on any given day, so we are feeling confident going into this game,” he said.

“It should be very exciting, because the statistics and the data by both teams would have shown that we are both unbeaten teams, so we are expecting a good a game from them.

“We have been playing, in the sense that we would have gotten the results that we want from our previous games, and I believe that as the season progresses that we will get a lot better in different areas in this competition,” Brodrick stated.

According to Brodrick, whose team reached the quarter-finals of last year’s competition, they are even more determined to surpass that effort this year.

“The sky’s the limit for us because we don’t normally put limits on ourselves. Because this programme is far bigger than just football, because we are working both on and off the field for the boys to reach their full potential,” he said.

Assistant coach of St Jago, Marcello Douglas, said he is expecting a tough encounter, but is confident that his side can come away with a positive result.

“This is going to be a tough game for sure because they are the best team in the group. So we are looking forward to the challenge and we will see how best we can go out there and get three points, or at least a point from the game,” he said.

“My boys will be up for the challenge, and they are in high spirits coming off five games and five wins and they are still remaining humble. We will see what this game brings,” Douglas added.

St Jago will rest their hopes in the hands of their captain Jordan Taylor, along with Orlando Smith and Ricardo Lewis, to lead their charge to victory.

Meanwhile, another intriguing encounter is expected in Zone D when the surprise leaders, unbeaten Vauxhall, play away to former champions St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS). Vauxhall, coached by Kyle Butler, son of Mona’s head coach Craig Butler, leads the zone with maximum 15 points from five games.

They are followed by Jamaica College and STATHS, who are both on 13 points. Camperdown (six), Spanish Town (two), St Mary’s College and Greater Portmore (one each), and Edith Dalton James on zero complete the zone.

Today’s games

Bridgeport vs Holy Trinity

Excelsior vs St Jago

Hydel vs Jonathan Grant

St George’s College vs Gaynstead

Edith Dalton James vs Greater Portmore

St Andrew Technical vs Vauxhall

Jamaica College vs Spanish Town

Camperdown vs St Mary’s College

Penwood vs Papine

Eltham vs Innswood

St Catherine vs Norman Manley

Campion College vs Clan Carthy

Pembroke Hall vs Ascot

Calabar vs Hillel

Mona vs Dunoon Park

Wolmer’s vs Meadowbrook