daCosta Cup resumes with crucial Garvey, Maggotty clash

The rural ISSA-daCosta Cup football competition resumes today with defending champions Garvey Maceo High and Maggotty High meeting at 3 p.m. in a crucial Zone Three encounter at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Clarendon.

The competition resumes after a month’s break following the passage of the deadly Hurricane Melissa on October 28. The hurricane caused a great deal of destruction in the western end of Jamaica and already one school, Maldon High, has withdrawn from the competition.

In what is regarded as the “Group of Death,” the defending champions sit on one point after a goalless draw at the same venue against Clarendon College before the competition was halted. Their opponents, Maggotty, are still without a point following a 1-0 loss to Glenmuir High at Glenmuir on a waterlogged field after heavy showers.

Both teams are in desperate search of a positive result as they push for a spot in the quarterfinals. Only the top two from the zone will advance.

Garvey Maceo’s head coach, Lester Hibbert, whose team was fortunate to escape with a point after being outplayed by Clarendon College, said preparation for the restart has been going well.

“We are ready for the game as preparation has gone well, and it is a must-win one for us,” said Hibbert, whose team’s final game in the round will be away to Glenmuir.

While he is focused on victory, Hibbert is not underestimating his opponents.

“We definitely need to win, but we also know this Maggotty team is a very good one and has been playing together for a while now,” he added.

“But we need a victory, and that will be our main focus. I don’t want to tell the boys that they have to win, but we can’t afford to lose,” he concluded.

The defending champions could face a serious challenge as St Elizabeth-based Maggotty — one of the western schools hit hard by the hurricane — will be highly motivated. They will be playing to lift the spirits of their supporters, many of whom are still recovering from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Raymond Graham@gleanerjm.com