August Town's Gary Brooks (left) shields the ball away from Reno's Everton Williams in a Wray and Nephew National Premier League match at the UWI playing field in November last year. Reno won 2-0 then, but will be looking to overturn a 0-1 deficit in today's Red Stripe Cup KO meeting at Frome. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Howard Walker, Staff Reporter

August Town, Wadadah and Village will try to book their place in the quarter-final of the Red Stripe all-island Champions Cup Knockout following first-leg successes.

August Town and Wadadah hold slender leads after defeating Reno and Montpelier 1-0 and 2-1 respectively last week at home.

Village hold a two-goal advantage after beating Star Cosmos of St. Mary 2-0 in the first-leg at the Elliston Wakeland Centre.

Of the three games today, August Town face the stiffest task of holding on to their lead when the travel to Frome to play Reno.

In the first leg, August Town dominated totally and it only took a 77th minute glancing header from David Laylor to separate the teams.

August Town's coach, Hugh McCarthy, was not a happy man after seeing his team fail to fully capitalise on their chances.

"The second leg will be tough. We should have scored three or four goals and the second leg would be easier. Going down there with a 1-0 margin is not a winning margin at all," said McCarthy.

August Town will depend on Daniel Shaw, Aphas Bernard, Tafari O'Connor, Gary Brooks, Orville Campbell, Carlos Barrett, crowd favourite Tremaine Stewart and captain Laylor to hold off Reno.

Reno, currently second in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League, will prove a hard nut to crack at Frome and the Westmoreland team will be firing on all cylinders.

Reno's assistant coach, Aaron Lawrence, said his team didn't turn up in the first leg but they know what to do now.

"We can't give away any goals and we just have to score two and we'll be OK," said Lawrence.

Fabian Blake, Patrick Graham, Kenrick Blair, Nyron Davis, Kendrie Quarrie, Dwayne Williams and Nicholy Findlayson should be the main weapons for Reno.

St. James' Wadadah should use their home advantage and see off Montpelier of Hanover and advance to the quarter-final round.

The same can be said of Trelawny's Village United, which hold a two-goal advantage over St. Mary's Star Cosmos.

Send comments tohoward.walker@gleanerjm.com

TODAY'S MATCHES

Wadadah vs. Mount Pelier at Catherine Hall

Reno vs. August Town at Frome

Star Cosmos vs. Village United at Clembhart Park