It is Do or Die!
There will be no second chances as of Wednesday when the knockout round of the Prime Minister’s Cup kicks off at Gall Hill, St John, with two exciting matches, one featuring last year’s losing finalists, Brittons Hill.
As the quest to reach the grand final on Independence Day at Kensington Oval continues, with a $100 000 prize on offer, it will be a David versus Goliath clash at 7 p.m., between Division 2 sideTechnique FC and the St Andrew Lions in the Round of 16.
The Lions, led by the in-form Darico King, have been on a remarkable run of form, topping Group A with a perfect record of nine points from three matches. King, known for his pace, vision, and deadly finishing, has been instrumental in his team’s smooth transition to top-flight football and will once again be key to unlocking Technique’s defence.
King scored the match winner to lead the Lions to a 2-1 win against Pro-Shottas in their third and final preliminary match and will once again be expected to lead his team’s frontline, which includes Thierry Bradshaw, Shamario Smith, Davian Clarke, Kadeem Atwell and Romario Reid.
Lions’ head coach, Kenroy Skinner, will also be confident knowing that he has a good defensive third marshalled by veterans Zico Phillips and Zico Greaves. In the mix as well is former University of the West Indies captain Ramon Griffith, while goalkeeper Sharad McAllister also has been spot on so far for between the uprights.
That’s not to say one should underestimate Technique, which is coached by Shawn Grandison and Adrian Mapp. A determined side, Technique has proven it can rise to the occasion.
Captained by young Antonio Weekes, the team advanced to the Round of 16 as one of the best third-place finishers from Group E, which was won by defending champions, UWI Blackbirds.
Weekes’ leadership and midfield control will be vital as Technique aims to frustrate their higher-tier opponents and perhaps cause one of the tournament’s biggest upsets. Weekes is Technique’s main goalscorer and he will look to run at St Andrew’s defence along with talented players Tre Moore and Raneko Thompson.
Technique’s midfield has Xavier Bayne, Nathaneel Straker and Christian John, while the back four which could feature Kenny Moore, Arion Gosling, Zaiden Hackett, and Jonathan Clarke will need to bring their best defensive game to cover goalkeeper Kai Cunningham-Ward.
The nightcap encounter promises fireworks as 2024 runners-up Brittons Hill square off against Premier League rivals Wotton FC in what could easily be a final-worthy showdown.
Knowing what is at stake in this decisive phase of the competition, Brittons Hill, coached by Richard Forde have looked dominant throughout the competition so far.
They cruised through Group B to finish unbeaten on nine points, and will now face their first real test. Their impressive attacking unit, led by Corey Hoyte, Jaron Oughterson, Shamari Harewood and T’Shane Lorde, can be a nightmare for any opposition defence.
However, we cannot count out the Mario Hart-coached Christ Church men of Wotton. Hitting the field with leading goalscorer Derrine Gale-Forde, Jabarri Papi Chandler and the possible return of senior national player Darian King to the starting lineup could make for an interesting attacking battle between the two sides.
(AS)
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