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McGrath, Garvey in big Saturday showdown for daCosta Cup
December 06, 2024
It will be a case of chasing history for one team and the other trying to get back on top of schoolboy football when the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup finalists McGrath High School and Garvey Maceo High School clash for the title at the National Stadium in Kingston on Saturday. Kick-off time is 3 p.m.
The headline contest spices up a doubleheader in a day of saucy finals clashes which sees St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Clarendon College battling for the ISSA Ben Francis KO Cup at 1 p.m.
Jermaine Thomas, coach of McGrath, said the finals will determine who wants it the most.
"It comes down to the team that is more disciplined, more assertive and who wants it more tomorrow. That is most important," Thomas said. "Garvey Maceo is a very good team, very mechanical. There is always a clear identity to 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, it comes down to 11 v 11," Thomas told THE WEEKEND STAR.
Linstead-based McGrath High, last year's Ben Francis KO champions, proved they are no pushovers after hitting history-chasing Ocho Rios High for six in a 6-1 win in their 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 it will spill over into the finals.
"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 cocky but instead be as relaxed and as composed as possible, still remain hungry and be willing to get the job done."
Continuing, he added: "This is the finals, so you have to play. If anything, there is anything, there is nothing you can hide here and be cheeky with. You've got to come out and play irrespective of whom you're playing against."
Meanwhile, Lester Hibbert, the first-year head coach of Garvey Maceo, said they have a 50-50 chance of winning the final, and respect goes to both teams who made it.
"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," he said.
"On a tactical basis, we played McGrath at Wembley this season and it ended 2-2. We both understand how each other plays. However, things might have changed during different games and scenarios, so we have to now approach the final game with being aggressive and ready to play," Hibbert said.
"The team that is well organised and disciplined will take home the victory. After the final whistle, we are assured that if we stick to the plans and the instructions given, we can come out victorious," he added.
'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 the favourites to win this season, 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 raising the title in the 2007 finals, when they won 4-3 on penalties, after a goalless finish.
The Ben Francis Cup final is also expected to be a thrilling affair. After winning six back-back titles in the years 2010-15, STETHS will use this as motivation going into the game from their 3-2 win in the semi-finals against Frome Technical.
Dethroned daCosta Cup champions this season, the four-time Ben Francis KO winners Clarendon College, would want 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 silverware and not be left empty-handed.
