Mass illness puts paid to Manning’s final daCosta Cup game

An outbreak of an illness with flu-like symptoms forced already-eliminated Manning’s School to forfeit their final daCosta Cup game against McGrath High School.

The result handed McGrath a place in the quarterfinals without kicking a ball, although the team already had one foot in the door after securing three points in Zone Four.

Munro College topped the zone with seven points, the same tally as McGrath, but advanced as winners on goal difference.

Coach Patrick Graham told The Gleaner that the illness first surfaced on Thursday during Manning’s 4-1 defeat to Central High, a result that ended the team’s hopes of progressing in the competition.

However, the situation has since deteriorated, with approximately three-quarters of the squad now affected.

“Three-quarters of the team is down with the flu, and we know we had an under-16 game yesterday. It was the same issue with those players. Players are in there feeling weak. We have some now, as we speak, at the doctor’s office.

“This game versus McGrath, we definitely wanted to travel for it, but we have been getting phone calls from last night [Friday] from players who are experiencing tightness in the chest, diarrhoea and vomiting. As we speak, they are getting medical attention at the moment,” Graham said.

Graham said the team would have welcomed the opportunity to travel and play the fixture in the interest of maintaining the integrity of the competition, but the players’ health made that impossible.

His comments came after ISSA issued a statement confirming that the match would not be played.