By Adrian Frater, New Editor

STATHS's hat-trick hero Andrew Christie (right) tussles for possesion with Trench Town's Rhanado Grant in the lone ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup game played at the Tony Spaulding Complex on Tuesday evening. STATHS won 4-1. - Junior Dowie

Western Bureau:

FAIR PROSPECT must step up to the plate if they are ro realise the immediate goal and secure a landmark achievement with first-time qualification to the inter-zone round of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup competition, that is played among rural schools.

By virtue of a handsome 5-2 victory over Titchfield High, Fair Prospect joined Port Antonio, Seaforth and St. Thomas Technical as qualifiers for a four-team play-off, which will decide the two teams to advance to the inter-zone stage from Zone L, that is split into sections A and B.

St. Mary also sealed its spot yesterday with a 2-0 win over Morant Bay.

Following their victory, Fair Prospect's coach, Donovan Rickettes admitted: "We have not be playing to our full potential this season but now that we have advanced to the play-offs we need to get it right because we now have a very good chance of advancing from the zone for the first time."

Rickettes added: "We will be putting in some serious work in a bid to be at our best in the play-off games."

Fair Prospect, which went into their Zone L (A) fixture against Titchfield needing a win to advance ahead of their opponents, turned in a sterling performance with Tyrone Brown (two goals), Grogory Burke, Jermaine Ming and Jamar Webber netting the winners. Titchfield, losing for the second time this season, got their goals from Omar Pryce and Rayon Bodley (penalty).

In their Zone L (B) fixture against Morant Bay, St. Thomas Technical, which needed a draw to advance, made sure there were no slip-ups as Rodaine Brissette and Cleon Little got the all-important goals for their team, which completed their group fixtures with 14 points.

Crucial game

In another crucial game yesterday, Godfrey Stewart (12) moved into second place in the competitive Zone C when they held group leaders Grange Hill (15) to a 0-0 draw on their highly anticipated showdown in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland. The teams had battled to a 2-2 draw in their first round meeting.

"We are steadily getting back into our own after a slow start of the season," said Carl Palmer, Godfrey Stewart's coach. "We just need to keep getting positive results and we should be able to advance from the zone."

Several games, including the Zone I fixture between champions Glenmuir and Central, were not played as a result of inclement weather.

The competition will continue this afternoon with eight games across four zones. Among the teams that will be on show is the red-hot Clarendon College, one of the three teams still sporting a 100 per cent win record with the competition's preliminary round past its halfway stage. Clarendon College, atop the zone with 21 points, will meet second place Lennon (19), a team they clipped 1-0 in the first round.