Excelsior seek strong start to round of 16
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Defending Manning Cup champions Excelsior High will be looking to put their recent ISSA sanctions firmly behind them when they kick-start the ISSA Manning Cup round of 16 today against Mona High.
Excelsior will face Mona in Zone 1 action in the first game of a double-header at the Jamaica College (JC) Ashenheim Stadium with kick off set for 2 pm.
Excelsior booked their spot in the round of 16 after placing third in Group B of the second round with nine points, despite being docked six points by ISSA for using an ineligible player.
In response to ISSA’s sanctions, Excelsior accepted the ruling but denied they had intentionally sought to gain an unfair advantage.
The Eagles will look to steady their season and will face a mammoth task against title contenders Mona High.
Mona booked their spot in the round of 16, after a strong showing in the second round they finished as runners-up in Group D.
They boast a record of four wins and one defeat, scoring 21 goals along the way while only conceding five.
The second game of the double-header will see hosts Jamaica College (JC) take on Tivoli High in Zone 4 action at 4:15 p.m.
JC, similarly to Excelsior, were docked three points for using an eligible player, but recovered to finish second in Group A with 10 points and advance to the round of 16.
The boys from Old Hope Road will enter the match as heavy favourites against a Tivoli Gardens unit that narrowly advanced past the second round.
Tivoli finished third in Group C after an inconsistent run that saw them finish with two wins and three defeats.
They were hammered 6-1 by Kingston College (KC) in their last outing, a performance they will hope to avoid when they take to the field against JC.
STRONG FAVOURITES
Over in Zone 3, St Jago High will take on Wolmer’s Boy’s in what is expected to be a close affair at 1:15 p.m., before Eltham play hosts to Norman Manley High at 3:30 p.m.
Both games will be played at the Eltham High School field.
Eltham are expected to start as strong favourites after their dominant performance in the second round when they topped Group D with a perfect record.
For Norman Manley, they will hope for a positive start against Eltham as they remain one of three unseeded teams to advance to the round of 16.
In a double-header at Stadium East, perennial title contenders St Andrew Technical High (STATHS) will face Hillel Academy at 2 p.m. before reigning Walker Cup champions KC face Vauxhall at 4:15 pm.
STATHS are expected to be heavy favourites against Hillel, who are the second of the unseeded teams to advance to the round of 16.
The feature game of the afternoon will be an exciting affair as KC will look to get the better of the fast-rising Vauxhall programme.
At the Waterhouse Mini Stadium, Calabar will face off against Camperdown, the final unseeded team left in the competition, at 2 p.m. before St Catherine faces St George’s College (STGC) at 4:15 pm.
Calabar, who topped Group B to advance to the round of 16, will be wary of Camperdown who have proven to be able to tussle with the top teams this season.
In the feature game of the afternoon, St Catherine will be hopeful of returning to winning ways when they take on an inconsistent STGC unit.
St Catherine, despite finishing atop Group A, lost their most recent game to Wolmer’s, but will be confident they can get the better of STGC.
For the boys from North Street, they will aiming for a strong start to the round as the school continues to rebuild under new head coach Andrew Price.
The top two teams from each zone will advance to the quarter-final round of the Manning Cup.
gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com
Today’s games:
Excelsior vs Mona at Ashenheim Stadium (2pm)
JC vs Tivoli Gardens at Ashenheim Stadium (4:15pm)
St Jago vs Wolmers at Eltham (1:15pm)
Eltham vs Norman Manley at Eltham (3:30pm)
STATHS vs Hillel at Stadium East (2pm)
KC vs Vauxhall at Stadium East (4:15pm)
Calabar vs Camperdown at Waterhouse Mini Stadium (2pm)
St Catherine vs STGC at Waterhouse Mini Stadium (4:15pm)