Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

While teams such as champions Garvey Maceo and former champions Cornwall College will be seeking to rebound from surprise mid-week defeats, the numerous clashes between previous winners should take the spotlight when the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup resumes this afternoon with 36 games.

Champions Garvey Maceo, shock 1-0 losers to Old Harbour on Wednesday, should have a real task on their hands playing away to former champions Glenmuir in their Zone I top-of-the-table clash.

Glenmuir lead the group with seven points, accumulated through two wins and a draw but Garvey Maceo, which started their campaign with two wins, are a point behind in second place.

"The conditions at Old Harbour were quite challenging and once they took the lead, it was quite difficult to pull them back," said Garvey Maceo's coach, Jeffrey Hewitt. "That loss is now behind us and I expect the team to rebound."

The Zone B top of the table showdown between former champions Rusea's and Frome Technical should be an epic affair as while Rusea's (12) will be seeking to extend their 100 per cent win record to five games, the 2003 champions Frome (9) will be gunning to pull closer.

"Our aim is to take three points from every game so we will naturally be going for a victory," said Rusea's coach Anthony 'Follies' Williams. "We are in a fairly tough group and we don't want to be scrambling for points when it comes down to deciding the two inter-zone qualifiers from this zone."

Overshadowed

While former champions Munro College (7) and St Elizabeth Technical (9) are being somewhat overshadowed by surprise Zone E leader Lacovia High (13), their big clash on the home turf of the former should turn up much fireworks as both teams seek to stay in contention for zone honours, which will earn the group winner a slot in the Ben Francis Knock Out.

While Munro, which will be playing their third game, will be defending an unbeaten record, having accumulated two wins and a draw, St Elizabeth Technical have lost once while scoring three victories. Interestingly, St Elizabeth Technical are the competition's most prolific team with 21 goals.

Among the other high-profile games on this afternoon will be the big Zone A clash between St James (8), joint group leaders with Maldon, and 'giant-killers' Irwin High (6), who are both sporting unbeaten records.

While St James High will be looking to rebound from Thurs-day's draw against Maldon, Irwin will no doubt be seeking to scalp another big gun.

"The surface at Maldon, which I believe is not fit for daCosta Cup, did not suit our style of play so we could only manage a point from that game," said Pastor Hugh Solomon, the St James' High coach. "We are aiming to be at our best against Irwin and we should definitely get a more favourable result."

The Zone H game between group leader, the unbeaten Lennon with nine points and the struggling Vere Technical (5), should be closely watched as Lennon look quite threatening and seem poised to upstage the group's traditional big guns Vere and Clarendon College (1) for top honours.

TODAY'S GAMES

Zone A

Cornwall College vs Herbert Morrison at Cornwall

Irwin vs St James at Irwin

Spot Valley vs Maldon at Spot Valley

Zone B

Anchovy vs Hopewell at Jarrett Park

Frome vs Rusea's at Frome

Green Island vs Merlene Ottey at Green Island

Zone C

Petersfield vs Grange Hill at Petersfield

Godfrey Stewart vs Mannings at Godfrey Stewart

Zone D

York Castle vs A Gallimore at York Castle

Ocho Rios vs Marcus Garvey at Drax Hall

Zone E

Maggotty vs BB Coke at Maggotty

STEHS vs Munro at STETHS

Black River vs Balaclava at Black River

Zone F

DeCarteret vs Manchester at DeCarteret

Cross Keys vs Belair at Cross Keys

Porus vs Manchester at Porus

Zone G

Christiana vs Holmwood at Christiana

Spalding vs Knox at Spalding

Mile Gully vs Edwin Allen at Mile Gully

Zone H

Lennon vs Vere at Lennon

Clarendon College vs Claude McKay at Clarendon College

Zone I

Kemps Hill vs Central at Kemps Hil

Glenmuir vs Garvey Maceo at Glenmuir

Tacius Golding vs Old Harbour at Tacius Golding

Zone J

McGrath vs Dinthill at MaGrath

Bog Walk vs Ewarton at Bybrook Sports Club

Charlemont vs Glengoffe at Clarlemont

Zone K

St Mary Technical vs St Mary High at Richmond Farm Prison

Tacky vs Iona at Tacky

Annotto Bay vs Islington at Annotto Bay

Zone L (a)

Fair Prospect vs Buff Bay at Fair Prospect

Titchfield vs Happy Grove at Titchfield

Zone L (b)

Robert Lightbourne vs Seaforth at Robert Lightbourne

Yallahs vs Morant Bay at Yallahs

Paul Bogle vs St Mary Technical at Paul Bogle