MALVERN, St Elizabeth — Defending daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) turned in a superb second-half performance to beat rivals Munro College 2-0 in their ‘derby’ game at Munro yesterday.

The result means that STETHS have advanced to the Inter-zone round of the competition. They now lead Zone F with 20 points — one ahead of Munro.

Before a large crowd in rainy, sometimes foggy conditions, Levaughn Baker netted from the penalty spot in the 69th minute and substitute Akeem Jones in the 83rd for the victors.

Both teams ended with 10 men after referee Cardella Samuels ejected Keneil Harrison of Munro and Jason Jacobs of STETHS in the 75th and 77th minutes, respectively.

Samuels headed a three-man on-the-field female officiating team that included assistants Stacy-Ann Greyson and Antoinette Williams.

Munro dominated possession in the first half, with STETHS seemingly content to stay behind the ball in driving rain.

The game picked up in pace and quality in the second half, with both teams pushing forward, even as fog descended across the ground.

Deron Vaccianna came close to giving STETHS the lead, but his goal-bound right-footer was headed off the line by a defender.

Minutes later, Davian Ash’s well-placed header was pushed over by Munro keeper Lloyd Tyme.

The opening goal came when the powerful Denmark Gillings, who was constant menace, was brought down while on a mazy run. Baker stepped up to blast home from the penalty spot.

Things got worse for Munro six minutes later when Harrison, who is the son of the Munro coach, was ejected for allegedly stepping on an opponent.

But from a corner kick two minutes later, Jacobs of STETHS was adjudged to have deliberately handled the ball, giving up a penalty kick and earning a red card.

However, STETHS keeper Leo-Pepe Cole, a stand-in for the first-choice goalkeeper Greg McCogg who is on national duties in Guyana, covered himself in glory by diving to his left to brilliantly block Leighton Thorpe’s well-hit penalty kick.

Jones, who is the son of former 1980s STETHS striker Tedroy, then rounded off a triumphant afternoon for his school.

He closed out a lovely three-man short-passing combination by calmly slotting past Tyme.

STETHS assistant coach Ricky Brown dedicated the victory to Coach Andrew Edwards, who is with the age-group national team in Guyana, as well as three STETHS players with that team in McCogg, Akeem Palmer and Kevon Farquharson.

Losing coach Harrison regretted the missed penalty, which, he pointed out, would have brought the scores level and “could have changed the game”.