Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth - Renorio Downswell, the 16 year-old son of national technical director for football, Wendell Downswell, scored both goals as two-time champions St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) stopped Lacovia High 2-1 in their Zone E daCosta Cup game at STETHS yesterday.

Downswell latched on to a loose ball and calmly slotted past the Lacovia custodian Ovarn Brown to give his team the lead in the 21st minute.

But two minutes later, his effort was cancelled out by Patrick Foster's long-range free-kick. The dipping shot from over 40 yards out was badly misjudged by the STETHS goalie Steve Benton, who ended up palming the ball into his own net.

Downswell, treading in the footsteps of his father, who was a star forward for STETHS in the mid-'70s and also coached the school to the daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield titles in 1999, got the winner in the 85th minute, when he rose high to head home Dane Isaacs' superb cross from the left.

The winners were reduced to 10 men in the second half when Derrick Thomas was ejected for a second bookable offence. But Thomas' absence hardly showed as STETHS, looking more composed and tactically superior on a bumpy, sub-standard field, made worse by heavy early afternoon rain, totally dominated the game. They would have won by a much wider margin, but for errant finishing and fine goalkeeping by Brown.

This was the second victory for STETHS, having overcome Balaclava High 2-0 in their season opener.
For Lacovia, it was a second straight loss. They lost their opener 5-0 to Newell High.

myersg@jamaicaobserver.com

Yesterday's results

In other games, defending champions Glenmuir drubbed Bustamante 9-0, thanks to hat-tricks from James Thomas and Cornell Learmond.
It was the second win from as many games for the champions, who opened their account with a contemptuous 5-0 win over Garvey Maceo.
Also in Zone I, Garvey Maceo rebounded with a 3-0 win over Central High and Kemps Hill and Vere ended 1-1.

Zone A
Irwin 1, Herbert Morrison 5; Anchovy 1, Cornwall College 0; William Knibb 2, St James High 0; Muschett 2, Maldon 0.
Zone B
Rusea's 3, Cambridge 0; Frome 1, Grange Hill 2;
Merlene Ottey 1, Knockalva 1.
Zone C
Petersfield 2, Godfrey Stewart 3; Black River 2, Mannings 0.
Zone D
Marcus Garvey 0, Cedric Titus 2; York Castle 5, Aabuthnott Gallimore 1.
Zone E
Munro 4, Balaclava 2.
Zone F
Manchester 5, May Day 2.
Zone G
Spalding 1, Holmwood 0; Porus 0, Christiana 1.
Zone H
Clarendon College 1, Denbigh 3; Thompson Town 3, Kellitts 4.
Zone J
Charlemont 3, Dinthill 1; Ewarton 0, McGrath 1.
Zone K
Annotto Bay 2, Iona 0; Brimmervale 3, St May High 1 (Damion Ritchie scored twice for Brimmervale); St Mary Tech 0, Tacky 1.
Zone L (a)
Happy Grove and Titchfield were locked at 1-1 when rain forced an end after 55 minutes; Port Antonio 4, Fair Prospect 0 (Jason Tracy hitting a brace).
Zone L (b)
Morant Bay 0, St Thomas Technical 2; Rob Lightbourne 1, Yallahs 4 (Two goals from Jamel McGowan)

Trousers in Denim

Cream of the 'Crop'

Cheeky's World