By Paul-Andre Walker, Staff ReporterA LAST-MINUTE decision by the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) has changed the time and venue of a number of games so as to facilitate complete fairness to those teams with a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Pepsi/Sports Plus Manning Cup competition. Thus, the St. Jago versus Normman Manley game will not be played until Wednesday of this week.
This season's Fairytale team, Vauxhall, is still in with a slim chance to make their way into the Pepsi/Sporrts Plus Manning Cup finals when they go up against Tivoli in a Ferdie Neita Park fixture that starts at 3:30. In the day's other game Camperdown go up against Mona in a game made purely of academics.
Tivoli for all intents and purposes do not have a realistic chance of earning an automatic spot, and looking at the other groups, even if they score a plethora of goals, they won't be able to garner the best second place position either.
Vauxhall, on the other hand, have much to play for, as they gave themselves an opportunity to earn a semi-final berth with a come from behind 2-1 victory over Donald Quarrie, who they are tied with on points, but who also have a superior goal difference to theirs.
GOALS
Vauxhall need to ensure that they score as many goals as possible against Tivoli so as to be safe if they end up on the same number of points as Donald Quarrie. Even then they have to face the agony of waiting until Donald Quarrie play their final game against Dunoon on Wednesday. Dunoon are at the top of the group, a point clear of Vauxhall, thus their only hope lies with a Donald Quarrie victory, and this only helps them if they can trounce Tivoli.
This season neither team has displayed an ability to play a physical game. However, Vauxhall have displayed the requisite hunger for a semi-final berth. Their come-back victory over Donald Quarrie illustrates this and it is quite possible that the fates have not decided to end Vauxhall's fairytale just yet.
