Showdown in the Park

Richard Bryan, Freelance Writer

Frome High and Glenmuir High square off tomorrow for what has the makings of an attractive game of football to decide the 2006 champions of the ISSA/Pepsi/JN daCosta Cup.

Match time is 3:00 p.m. at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay.

To most pundits, Frome are a cinch to gain their second lien on the trophy, given their remarkable consistency against previously highly touted teams. But for four or three hiccups in almost 20 games over a three-month period, they have had everyone pretty much playing to their tune each time they took to the field.

They lost 2-0 to Rusea's High early in the competition, and conceded first against Munro College in a Ben Francis KO game before winning 2-1. They trailed Denbigh twice before winning 3-2, and even trailed Clarendon College 0-1 in the Ben Francis final before prevailing in a penalty shoot-out.

Frome have finished strongly in most of their games and have looked quite efficient in locking out teams at crucial times of their encounters.

"This is not a team that is going to throw in the towel early," coach Boysie Nicholson said, following a hard-fought 1-0 victory last Saturday over Clarendon Col-lege. Nicholson thinks Clarendon College have been Frome's toughest opponents all season.

He feels his team is ready for the challenge.

"They understand the game well and are quite flexible in the positions they play. I feel confident that whoever we play, these boys can approach the game like big men," a confident Nicholson said.

Such confidence must have been influenced by the outstanding performances of players such as O'Brien Woodbine, midfield general Keswick Samuels, captain Demar Howard, Linval Wilson Jr. and the outstanding goalkeeper Shamar Mullings.

For their part, Glenmuir have been inconsistent after starting the competition with a bang. They tapered off in the inter-zone stage before gamely getting their way into the final. There is obvious quality in their useful team but their passage was helped by first securing a semi-final spot by beating Clarendon in a game which the latter could afford to lose, and then getting the weaker of the semi-final ties against Titchfield, who got further than any one expected.

Frome's tag of being favourites is the same pressure that Glenmuir took into the final last season.

"This Glenmuir team is an interesting one," coach Jackie Walters said ahead of tomorrow's final. "If anyone is worrying it is Frome. I know my team has the capability and can rise to the occasion."

Two players who are expected to do well for Glenmuir are captain James Thomas and Christopher Calder.