Excelsior retain schoolgirl football title

Excelsior High School showed their dominance in schoolgirl football on Monday when they outclassed Denham Town High 4-0 in the ISSA/Locker Room Sports Schoolgirls Football final, at the Prison Oval in Spanish Town.

The defending champions took the lead in the 35th minute through a sublime free kick from their captain and national representative Tarania Clarke.

They extended their lead in the 64th minute, when Clarke's corner kick met the head of the leading goalscorer of the competition, Chevel Henry.

Not totally pleased

The two would combine in similar fashion in the 74th, and when Jahmailla Rickets volleyed home a free kick two minutes later, the writing was on the wall.

"I am happy for us to win and defend our championship. I am not totally pleased with the way we played in the first half. We were very fortunate to be up 1-0 at the end of the half, but, nevertheless, in the second half, we picked it up, we played a lot better and then scored some more goals. We were pretty much in total control of the game," said Excelsior coach Xavier Gilbert.

Clarke was also elated with the team's performance.

"I am very elated knowing that my team came here and were well prepared and we executed what we have learnt in training," Clarke said. "Most of the plays that you see in the second half are things that we practised in training."