Showdown for daCosta Cup

It’s a case of one school chasing history and the other seeking to get back on top in rural schoolboys football.

First-time finalists McGrath High are in a grand showdown with 2007 champions Garvey Maceo High in today’s ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup final at the National Stadium. Kick-off time is 6:15 p.m.

The daCosta Cup final will be the feature match of a double-header at the venue. Earlier at 3 p.m., St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Clarendon College will battle for the ISSA Ben Francis KO Cup.

Lester Hibbert, first-year head coach of Garvey Maceo and a former student of the school, says he has a 50-50 chance of winning the coveted trophy.

“First and foremost, we just have to give thanks to the Almighty for the victory on Wednesday. We are now focused on strictly recovery, because it is back-to-back games. With the timespan, it is just to have the boys refocus,” Hibbert said yesterday.

“We played McGrath at Wembley Centre of Excellence this season and it ended 2-2. We both understand how each other plays. However, things might have changed since that draw, so we will now have a more aggressive approach in this final game,” Hibbert said.

He added that the team that is well organised and disciplined will take home the trophy.

‘The Cubans’, as Garvey Maceo are affectionately called because their institution was built as a gift to the country by Jamaica’s Caribbean neighbours, stopped favourites Glenmuir High in a 4-2 penalty shoot-out (0-0 regulation time) at the National Stadium on Wednesday. The two-time champions had also prevented Glenmuir from lifting the title in the 2007 final when they won 4-3 on penalties, after a goalless finish.

According to Jermaine Thomas, coach of McGrath, the more assertive team will emerge champions.

11 VS 11

“It comes down to the team that is more disciplined, more assertive, and who wants it more. Garvey Maceo are a very good team. There is always a clear identity, you can see exactly what they are trying to do, whether they will be overloading the middle of the pitch or inverting, switching the system, stuff like that. At the end of the day, however, it comes down to 11 versus 11,” Thomas told The Gleaner.

Linstead-based McGrath, last year’s Ben Francis KO champions, proved they are no pushovers after hitting history-chasing Ocho Rios for six (6-1 win) in the semi-final game on Wednesday at the National Stadium. It was Ocho Rios’ worst defeat all season and, with the dominance shown by McGrath, Thomas believes this will spill over into the final.

“I think the confidence shown in the semi-finals will be displayed tomorrow. It is going to be key that they don’t get too overly cocky, but instead be as relaxed and as composed as possible, remain hungry and be willing to get the job done,” Thomas said yesterday.

Continuing, he added: “This is the final, so you have to play. You have got to come out and play, irrespective of whoever you’re playing against.”

For today’s final McGrath will look to Jim Mitchell, with 12 goals this season and Devone Davis with 11.

Garvey Maceo’s top two are Everald Swaby (11 goals) and Malik Robinson with six.

The Ben Francis final is also expected to be a thrilling affair. After winning six straight titles in the years 2010-15, STETHS will use this as motivation going into the game, following their 3-2 win in the semi-finals against Frome Technical.

Dethroned daCosta Cup champions Clarendon will be looking to ride the momentum of their 1-0 win against Denbigh High in the semis. They will be confident as they push to lift at least one piece of silverware this season.