SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth - Three-time daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) came from behind to beat their great rivals Munro College, 2-1, at the STETHS Sports Complex here yesterday.

On a pleasant afternoon, before a capacity crowd which included Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Captain Horace Burrell, Munro went ahead in the eighth minute through Shaunavan Desouza.

However, STETHS won with headed goals from Khesario Hall in the 25th and Rodney Witter in the 75th.

Munro scored with their first penetrative attack. A fast-moving Desouza slipped through the heart of a slack defensive line and his right-footed grounder eluded the right hand of the diving Enrique Rochester.

But STETHS, losing finalists last year and defending champions in the Ben Francis KO, kept their composure and gradually took control with a stylish passing game.

The equaliser was made by left-flanker Rohan Lindsay who stormed down the left, leaving defenders struggling and his pinpoint left-footed cross was headed home by an unmarked Hall.

STETHS had the better of possession and the clearer chances for the remainder of the half — a magnificent block by Munro's goalkeeper Ahkaim Forbes denying striker Jamel Sinclair with 10 minutes of the period remaining.

STETHS continued to have the better of play in the second half and deservedly got the winner when Hall, worming his way down the right, earned a free-kick. Shamario Mullings crossed powerfully across the face of goal and a diving, twisting Witter expertly headed home.

With the minutes ticking by, an unmarked Hall must have felt he had scored number three for his team but Forbes blocked sensationally with his feet.

A proud STETHS coach, Omar Wedderburn praised his team for an "excellent performanmce".

Said he: "Our main objective was to get three points and when we went down, we didn't panic, we kept our form... that was a championship performance from my team."

Munro's coach Andrew Edwards, who coached STETHS last year, conceded that the "better team won on the day". But he praised his team for "a good effort which we can build on from here".