Shocker at STETHS - Garvey Maceo, Manning’s upset CC, Dinthill in daCosta semis

Western Bureau:

Defending Champions Clarendon College (CC) and Dinthill Technical, another of this season's favourites, were beaten in the ISSA daCosta Cup semi-finals at the STETHS Sports Complex in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, yesterday.

Garvey Maceo High School and the Manning's School will instead take their places in the championship game.

In the curtain-raiser, Manning's advanced 4-2 on penalties over Dinthill after they played out to a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

Garvey Maceo outscored CC 3-2 in the parish derby.

Garvey Maceo drew first blood on the stroke of halftime when Ricardo Beckford was caught napping on the ball, and that invited Gregory Cousins to pick his pocket and roll it into the bottom right corner.

They doubled their lead just seconds after the break, through Cleo Clarke.

CC was gifted a chance to cut the deficit in minute 50 when Jahiem Rose was cynically brought down in the box. He confidently finished the penalty.

Just a minute after the referee waved off a penalty shout from the CC bench, Garvey Maceo was awarded a penalty that Cleo Clarke slotted home in the 80th minute to restore their two-goal lead.

Substitute Damion Abrahams reduced the deficit for CC in the 85th minute, curling a direct corner kick into the goal.

CC coach Lenworth Hyde said while it is disappointing not being able to win three daCosta Cup titles in a row, they will just have to compensate with the Champions Cup on Saturday.

"It's always tough to win three," he said. "We came close, but it just was not meant to be, so we just have to try again next year."

"I don't think anything went wrong, just our finishing. We got golden opportunities to score goals and refused to do it. However, it's just part of the game because think we should have gotten a penalty, but that's how it is. We just have to try to redeem ourselves with the Champions Cup."

Garvey Maceo's assistant coach Dane Chambers said the underdog tag played in their favour.

"The mindset was to come out to perform at our best, and if they were to beat us, they would have to be better. We came stronger because we wanted it more. They are defending champions, so the pressure was always on them. We had nothing to lose, so we just played," said Chambers, who applauded his two most experienced players.

"In the JC game, those were two players who didn't come to the party. I asked them, 'Please, come to the dance today, and let's play our music.'

"We pressed them from the start and got Gregory Cousins and Cleo Clarke on the ball."

Schoolboy football action continues today with the ISSA Ben Francis Cup.

A doubleheader at STETHS sees Munro College versus Frome Technical and the hosts taking on Vere Technical.

At Drax Hall in St Ann, Edwin Allen High School face Cornwall College and Manchester High School battle Christiana High School at Kirkvine.