Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth – Led by two goals from their prolific, talismanic striker Deshorn Brown, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) stormed into the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup final with a 3-1 victory over Garvey Maceo at the STETHS Sports Complex yesterday.

Dravian Williams headed home in the 12th minute and the tall, powerful Brown then netted arguably “the goal of the season” in the 45th minute and another in the 60th to put the two-time daCosta Cup champions up 3-0.

But Andrew Vanzie deservedly pulled one back for skilful Garvey Maceo in the 83rd minute.

STETHS played three minutes of added time with 10 men after right flank player Eugene Wright was ejected on a second yellow card for handling the ball. Wright will miss the final and was in tears at game’s end.

STETHS – twice winners of the Cup – will now face first-time finalists Manchester High in next weekend’s final. It will also be the first time teams from neighbouring parishes Manchester and St Elizabeth meet in a daCosta Cup final.

STETHS, runners up to eventual beaten Ben Francis KO finalists Munro College in zonal action, are into the daCosta final for the seventh time in their history, having previously done so in 1969, ’71, ’74, ’77, ’89, and ’99. STETHS won the daCosta Cup in ’74 and the daCosta Cup/Olivier Shield double in ’99.

Before an overspill crowd on a pleasant afternoon, the physically imposing STETHS, showing composure and positive intent, were always the better team in the first half.

Williams found the opening goal when he outjumped the Garvey Maceo defence to head a right-sided corner kick down and away from goalkeeper Shamall Briscoe into the custodian’s left-hand corner.

The second will probably go down as one of the best Brown will ever score. Fed a smooth pass from Wright, Brown, at an acute angle down the attacking right, skilfully twisted and turned his way past defenders to the top of the penalty box.

His delightfully-flighted chip with the outside of the right foot then left the advancing Briscoe for dead before settling in the net off the underside of the crossbar.

The game was all but sewn up for STETHS 14 minutes into the second half when Brown surged forward on a long ball from defence with Garvey Maceo defenders hopelessly in his wake and slid his grounded left-foot shot past Briscoe.

Garvey Maceo, utilising a sleek, short-passing game, pressed hard thereafter. But their only reward came with just seven minutes of full time remaining – Vanzie at the far post slotting home after the impressive Nicoy Christian had worked his way down the right and sent his cross across the face of goal.

STETHS coach Andrew Edwards praised former STETHS and national coach, Wendell Downswell, and the “entire STETHS family” for their contribution to the cause.

“One big plus for the team was when Coach Downswell joined in and provided his great experience and influence; it was a great help,” said Edwards.

Downswell, a star winger for STETHS in the 1970s, was in charge when the school last won the daCosta Cup and subsequently the Olivier Shield 10 years ago.

Edwards also hailed his team for following instructions by pushing back the opposition and scoring goals in the first half.

Losing coach Jeffrey Hewitt credited the victors for showing “great heart”, which he felt was the deciding factor in the game. He praised his team for their effort in reaching the semi-final after only entering the inter-zone round following the withdrawal of Old Harbour.