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St James, Irwin in top-of-the-table d’Cup clash
September 29, 2026
Zone A leaders St James High and Irwin High will put their perfect records on the line when they clash in an Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) daCosta Cup top-of-the-table football encounter at Jarrett Park, starting at 3:30 p.m.
The clash is one of six matches scheduled for today as teams continue their push for places in the next round of the competition.
St James High’s coach Bryan Stoney said that while the immediate focus is defeating Irwin, the ultimate objective is winning the daCosta Cup.
“Our objective might sound strange, but it’s to win the daCosta Cup. We have to get them used to our playing style. Every training session is just one set of training we do now just to make players know their position, understand what’s wrong, and know exactly what they must do,” said Stoney.
History of success
Stoney stated that the team aims to secure another title, building on their history of success.
“We don’t want to get carried away by qualifying for the next round. Today it’s just another game, so the preparation right now is just to keep the boys focused,” he added.
St James enter the game on the heels of a narrow 1-0 victory over Spot Valley, while Irwin eased by Herbert Morrison 2-0.
The teams are tied on 12 points at the top of Zone A, with Irwin holding the advantage on goal difference. Muschett are third on six points, while Herbert Morrison sit fourth on four.
Irwin’s assistant coach Sanjay Sterling expects a difficult contest, saying his team will have to find a way to break down St James’ disciplined defence.
“It’s definitely going to be a game that we have to work extra hard on because that game is an away game. One of the strengths of that team is how well they defend, so we’re definitely going to have to find a way to break them down,” said Sterling.
He intends to focus on playing “early football” to create scoring opportunities.
“Play early football, and then the rest will speak for itself,” he said. “Just like us, they haven’t been beaten as yet, so it will be a good game.”
Momentum
In St Elizabeth, Zone D’s Lacovia High will host Lewisville High, with the home team looking to continue their winning momentum to strengthen their position for a place in the next round.
Second-place Lacovia will enter the contest as favourites, but fifth-place Lewisville will be hoping to make life difficult for their opponents and pull off an upset.
