Garvey Maceo, Maggotty in crucial battle

WHEN defending champions Garvey Maceo and Maggotty High meet today at the Wembley Centre of Excellence in Clarendon at 3 p.m in Zone 3 action -- the lone ISSA daCosta Cup schoolboy football match of the round -- it will be a crucial encounter for both teams.

In what is regarded as the 'Group of Death', the defending champions sit on one point after a goalless draw at the same venue against Clarendon College, before the competition was halted following the passage of Hurricane Melissa. Their opponents, Maggotty, are still without a point following a 1-0 loss to Glenmuir at Glenmuir on a waterlogged field after heavy showers.

So both teams are in a desperate search for a positive result as they push for a spot in the quarter-finals. Only the top two will advance from the group.

Garvey Maceo's head coach, Lester Hibbert, whose team was fortunate to escape with a point after being outplayed by Clarendon College, said preparation for the restart has been going well.

"We are ready for the game as preparation has gone well, and it is a must-win one for us," said Hibbert, whose team's final game will be away to Glenmuir.

While he is focused on victory, Hibbert is not underestimating his opponents.

"We definitely need to win, but we also know this Maggotty team is a very good one and have been playing together for a while now.

"But we need a victory, and that will be our main focus. I don't want to tell the boys that they have to win, but we can't afford to lose," he concluded.

The defending champions could face a serious challenge, as Maggotty -- one of the western schools hit by the hurricane -- will be highly motivated. They will be playing to lift the spirits of their supporters, many of whom are still recovering from the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.