Greenvale, Race Track advance in Claro/Insport league
GREENVALE and Race Track are miles apart, but last weekend the two penned near identical scripts as they progressed to the national round of 16 in the Claro/Institute of Sport (Insport) All-Island Community Football Championship.
Having lost the Clarendon finals last season, Race Track went a step further this time by beating Orlando 2-0 at Havana Heights on Saturday. Dujon Johnson’s strike in the 34th minute and Leon Watkins’ goal 12 minutes from the end, handed Race Track a deserved victory.
Greenvale lost to New Green in the Manchester final last year, but there was no stopping them this time around as they outlasted an aging Mile Gully Masters side 1-0 at Brooks Park on Sunday.
The two now join St James champions Tennament Youth as early qualifiers.
Port Maria United and Jacks River are set to compete in next Sunday’s final after semi-final victories on Sunday at Eden Park, St Mary.
In the first semi-final, Jacks River clipped Cromwell Land 1-0 before Port Maria dispatched Hamstead 2-0.
Westchester and Naggo Head will meet in the Portmore final on April 10 after the former blanked Gregory Park 3-0 at Iron Five in Gregory Park. However, in the feature match it took penalties to decide the other finalists after Westchester and Garvey Meade played to 1-1 draw following full and extra time. Westchester, however, showed composure in the ensuring shoot-out as they ran out 3-0 victors to sparked wild celebration.
The last four remaining teams in St Catherine were determined after quarter-final action at Federal and Lasco Oval.
At Federal, Cooton and Old Road had to be separated by the dreaded penalty shoot-out as they remained inseparable after a 2-2 scoreline following full and extra time. Cooton, however, forgot how to score from 12 yards and were dumped out of the competition, as Old Road converted their first three spot kicks to win 3-0.
Having witnessed the nerve-racking curtain-raiser, Point Hill took matters into their own hands as they hammered Harker’s Hall 3-0 to advance in impressive fashion.
At Lasco Oval, penalties were also needed as Caymanas Bay defeated White Waters 3-1 after both sides played to a 1-1 tie. The ensuing main event failed to take place after Express turned up for the game against Central Village with only seven players, effectively forfeiting the match. Central Village therefore advanced with a 3-0 margin.
