Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Still smarting from their exit at the quarter-final stage of the ISSA/Gatorade/Digicel Walker Cup knockout, Spanish Town High now turn their attention to the second round of the Manning Cup where they will face Donald Quarrie High at Constant Spring this afternoon.

The first of a double-header at the venue, the Group H match is slated to get under way at 1 p.m., two hours before beaten Walker Cup semi-finalists Excelsior High continue their Manning Cup campaign, against Calabar High.

In the Walker Cup, Spanish Town, despite controlling possession for the most part, lost 1-0 to Jamaica College (JC) and come today, according to coach Anthony Thompson, the aim will be to make amends.

"We put up a real fight in the Walker Cup as even though we did not win we outplayed them," said Thompson.

"Come tomorrow, however, we plan to do things differently, as while we are planning to control the game, we plan to get a goal as well."

leading roles

Central midfielder Owen Walters, national under-17 wing back, Nathaniel Leslie and forward Kevon Nembhard, are among those who are expected to play leading roles for the boys from the nation's old Capital.

Donald Quarrie, in the meanwhile, will look to their leading goalscorer, central midfielder Michael Lutas, fellow midfielder Steve Clarke and forward Bebeto Green.

"Having made it to the second round we don't have nothing to lose knowing that many persons did not expect us to," said Donald Quarrie's coach, Wayne Bruce.

"Spanish Town looks like a rounded and well-coached team. They are robust and tackle hard and all that.

"But we also know that Spanish Town lost their influential captain in the Walker Cup due to card, which should affect their potency and as such, we plan to go out there and play hard," Bruce explained.

In the preliminary round, Donald Quarrie ended with seven wins, two draws and one loss to finish second to Wolmer's in Group F, while Spanish Town topped Group E with six wins, one draw and three losses.

Meanwhile Excelsior, which lost 5-4 on penalties to JC in the Walker Cup KO semi-finals, will be hoping to put that result behind them when they take on Calabar, which finished second to Bridgeport in their preliminary round grouping.