Rusea’s clobber Merlene Ottey 7-0

WESTERN BUREAU:

IT WAS a seven-star performance from 11-time champions Rusea's High School as they dismissed Merlene Ottey High 7-0 in their opening game of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel daCosta Cup at the Collin Miller Sports Complex in Lucea, yesterday.

A first-half hat-trick by Shamour Smith set the game up for Rusea's. Smith's second-minute strike grabbed the early lead before giving Rusea's a two-goal cushion 13 minutes later. He wasted not much time in reaching the three-goal landmark in the 36th minute.

The Lucea-based Rusea's were gifted a fourth goal before the interval when Merlene Ottey's Keano Spence scored an own goal in the 39th minute.

The intensity of the game fell after the break but substitute Jahtae Reid injected fuel with his 67th-minute goal. Terome Morgan netted the sixth goal five minutes later before substitute Dean Jay Brown got on the scoresheet in the second minute of stoppage time.

Dwayne Ambusley, coach of Rusea's, believes the result was a confidence boost as they look to show their fans and the public that last year's disappointment was a fluke.

"We got four goals in the first half so we couldn't ask for much more. We dropped our intensity a bit in the second half but first game for a team and scoring seven goals we have to give thanks for that.

"Any football game that a team wins will be a confidence booster. Given that we had such a bad season last year, very poor by our standards by not coming out of the zone, we are just taking it one game at a time. We hope to get better each game we play," said Ambusley.

Though disappointed with the result, Merlene Ottey High's coach Xavier Mitchell said they will be working on the areas that led to their demise as they look to lift themselves in the zone.

"We have some talent in the team so we just have to work on playing together as a team better. We have a lot to work on so we will go back to the drawing board and see how best we can move forward.

"We are coming back into the competition. We are trying to just get the boys going. We are looking to put our best foot forward and hope to make a mark in the zone," Mitchell said.

Today's games

n Manning's vs Black River at Manning's playing field

n Maggotty vs Sydney Pagon at STETHS

n Alphansus Davis High vs Mile Gully at Alphansus Davis High playing field

n Holmwood vs Alston at Holmwood playing field

n Lennon vs Thompson Town at Lennon playing field

n Edwin Allen vs Kellits High at Edwin Allen playing field

n Oracabessa vs Marcus Garvey at Clemhard's Park

n Ocho Rios vs York Castle at Drax Hall

n Annotto Bay vs Horace Clarke at Westmoreland Oval

n Wycliffe Martin High vs Tacky at Wycliffe Martin High playing field

n St. Mary Tech vs St Mary High at Richmond Farm

n Dinthill vs Charlemont at Dinthill playing field

n St. Thomas Tech vs Paul Bogle at Eastern Banana Complex

n Yallahs vs Robert Lightbourne at Yallahs HS

Morant Bay vs Seaforth at Morant Bay playing field

n Tacius Golding vs Old Harbour at Tacius Golding playing field

n Denbigh vs Central at Denbigh playing field

n Winston Jones vs Vere at Winston Jones

n Happy Grove vs Port Antonio at Hector's River

n Fair Prospect vs Titchfield at Fair Prospect playing field