STATHS look to extend lead in Manning Cup Group D

Tarrant High have not covered themselves in glory since the start of the 2022 Digicel Manning Cup competition with just one win from three matches, but St Andrew Technical (STATHS) coach, Philip Williams, whose team leads Group D with 10 points, is still anticipating a tough contest when the teams meet today.

"It should be a good game. There is not much difference in terms of quality between the teams and Tarrant are coached by Alrick Clarke one of the most experienced tacticians at this level.

"This will be the first meeting between the teams and we don't know what to expect. We will be focused on making sure we execute what we have been doing in practice," he said.

STATHS have scored 15 goals and conceded just three in their four matches and Williams thinks they are improving all the time.

"Progress has been good, with the team showing an appetite for attacking football while maintaining a high quality of play," he noted.

Tarrant's Clarke says he is not surprised by the team's difficulties thus far and although he believes it will be difficult to get a win today they are aiming for something positive.

"At this point we are where I expected us to be. I knew it would not be easy. We do not have much experience where playing in a competition is concerned. They are not getting the results that they would like but I expected given the inexperience. So I am really leaning towards the younger players, as we have quite a few 15-year-olds and we are making preparations with them for the next season or two," Clarke said.

Tarrant defeated Spanish Town 2-1 in their opening game before losing to Norman Manley High and then Dunoon High and Clarke is eager to see how they match up against one of the competition's big guns.

"We have won one of our three games and they were unlucky to lose the other two, and it was just because of inexperience. If we had (more) time (to prepare) we could have been a little closer to the other teams in the group," he said.

In other Group D games today, Norman Manley High play Jonathan Grant High at the Maxfield Park community centre and Dunoon take on Spanish Town High at Excelsior High School.

All games kick off at 3.30 p.m.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

Other matches:

Camperdown vs Hydel at Stadium East at 1 p.m.

Wolmer's Boys vs Mona at Stadium East at 3.10 p.m.

Kingston High vs Papine at Breezy Castle 3.30 p.m.

Cedar Grove vs St Catherine at Cedar Grove 3.30 p.m.

Jamaica College vs St Jago at Jamaica College 3.30 p.m.

Holy Trinity vs St Mary's College at Bell/Chung Oval 3.30 p.m.