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Several schools face crunch in Manning Cup
October 04, 2024
As the end of the ISSA Manning Cup first-round fixtures loom, several schools will now have to face the music as they prepare for must-win games if they are to keep their hopes of a second round berth alive.
Now embroiled in their reverse fixtures, the race for the two top spots in each zone is hot.
Perhaps the most competitive this year is Zone C that is hotly contested with four teams all hoping they can play their way into the second round.
Leading the charge are perennial title contenders Kingston College (KC) with 16 points from six games.
KC are closely followed by Campion College with 13 points, while Penwood High and Jose Marti Technical High are third and fourth, respectively, both tied on 10.
After their early stumble in an unexpected 2-2 draw with unheralded Penwood, KC have been on a five-game win streak and are expected to continue their form.
Campion College will be confident they can advance from the zone, with their only defeat this season being against KC.
The Campionites will have to fend off the challenges of Penwood and Jose Marti, who are lurking and looking to capitalise on any mistake.
In Zone E, St Jago High have continued their march up the rankings after a slow start. The boys from Monk Street have recovered from' back-to-back losses to Wolmer's Boys' and Tivoli Gardens High to climb to third in the group on 12 points.
They trail Tivoli who sit second on 15 points, while zone leaders Wolmer's remain perfect with 18 points.
St Jago face a tough task to secure a spot in the next round, with Wolmer's and Tivoli being two of their four remaining fixtures.
The top two teams, as well as the two best third-place teams will advance to the second round.
The second round will have 16 teams placed in four groups with four teams each, with the top two from each group advancing to the third round.
There, the final eight teams will be placed in two groups of four where the top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
