Western Bureau:
Unscathed in their previous two games, former champions Glenmuir High School and first-time finalists Munro College are expected to put on a super show at the St Elizabeth Technical High School grounds this afternoon when they square off in 2009 Ben Francis Knockout final, which is slated to start at 3 pm.
In Wednesday's semi-finals, Munro ended the reign of last year's champions St James High, clipping them 3-2 on their home turf at Jarrett Park, while at Jamalco, Clarendon, Glenmuir earned the right to oppose Munro in the final following their 1-0 victory over Paul Bogle High.
From a historical perspective, both teams should be highly motivated for different reasons. With five previous liens on the coveted title, Glenmuir will be seeking to join six-time champions Cornwall College as the competition's most successful teams. On the other hand Munro, which have not won a major title since 1964, will be aiming to end their drought.
Looking ahead to today's game, the Munro team should be extremely confident, having progressed to the final at the expense of a St James High team which was starting to look invincible, especially after their 6-1 quarter-final round mauling of a hapless Rusea's High.
"We are extremely happy to be in the final and we are really looking forward to winning this title," said Munro's coach Hopeton Gilchrist.
He added: "We are looking forward to an improved performance in the final as we did not take care of the ball as well as we should have against St James."
With just one defeat in their Zone E campaign in the daCosta Cup, during which they scored 19 goals and conceded a mere four, it is quite apparent that Munro is a quality team. In fact, many feel that the tactically astute Gilchrist is most deserving of copping a major title.
However, having gone undefeated in 10 daCosta Cup games and their two Ben Francis KO fixtures, the Glenmuir team seems just about ready to blunt any opposition. In fact, those who have been tracking Glenmuir's progress have been likening them to a silent assassin, striking deadly without much fanfare.
"We will definitely be ready for the final," said Glenmuir's coach Patrick 'Jackie' Walkers, after what he said was an ordinary performance against Paul Bogle.
"We are capable of doing much better than we did against Paul Bogle and we are hoping to show that in the final."
Defensive weaknesses
While their 29 goals for and nine against in the daCosta Cup campaign might seem to suggest some amount of defensive weaknesses, having been able to contain free-scoring teams like Lennon High and Paul Bogle in their two Ben Francis KO games would suggest that corrective work is taking place.
In terms of players that could make the difference for both teams, Munro's victory bid should revolve around Leighton Thorpe, Jermaine Saams, Errol Davis, Christopher Wint and Rasheen Eccleston, while Glenmuir's best service is expected from main players Ramon Wilson and Paul Whittaker.