ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica — Defending champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) fought back well from a goal down to beat Lennon High 2-1 in their Issa/Flow DaCosta Cup interzone round game here last Saturday but that was only part of the story.

A frightening lightning storm forced referee Leon Brown to rush the players off a rain-flooded field with five minutes remaining.

And, as if all that was not enough two players, one from either side, had to be rushed to hospital after an accidental clash of heads early in the second half.

The two, Sanjay Snaith of Lennon and Clifton Woodbine, were later cleared after extensive tests. Woodbine was released from hospital after 24 hours while Snaith only left hospital on Monday.

In the game itself, Lennon High shook STETHS in the 21st minute when striker Odane Grant scored in the 21st minute. But tenacious STETHS found the equalizer from a Lennon own goal in the 66th minute. And in driving rain STETHS’ leading scorer Jovoney Brown who came on as a second half substitute – presumably to take full advantage of tiring defenders – found the winner with a right-foot blast in the 74th minute.

The victory for STETHS, their second in the interzone round following a 1-0 win over Holmwood Technical means theya re now through to the quarter final round.

Lennon with a 4-0 win over Mile Gully High last week must await today’s clash with Holmwood Technical to know their fate.

Before a fair sized crowd, Lennon, having come to Santa Cruz with a big reputation finishing second to Clarendon College in Zone H of the preliminary round, started slowly. But they soon found their bearings with their speedy Number 7, Christopher Randall making serious inroads down the left hand side.

Another searing run from Randall left the STETHS defence in disarray and his cross across the face of goal was headed home by Grant to leave the home support dumbstruck.

But STETHS gradually asserted themselves in midfield, showing patience and good passing, and by the end of the half appeared the more dominant team.

The second half will be remembered as much for the driving rain, lightning and thunder as for the STETHS comeback. The more the rain fell, the more the defending champions pressed and the more Lennon seemed to wilt.

Substitutions including the arrival of Brown, appeared to strengthen the STETHS resolve and the equalizing goal when it came was no surprise. Rujay Robinson capped a strong run down the right with a good cross. Amidst a flurry of legs, the ball crossed the line into the net. The match officials ruled that a Lennon defender, Ray Campbell had the last touch.

STETHS kept driving forward as the rain, which was light at first became a cloud burst, leaving large pools of water on the surface. Brown, running hard, would not be denied. Racing through the centre, his powerhouse right foot shot left the Lennon goalkeeper Tyrone Mullings helpless, to give STETHS the lead.

By then, lightning was streaking the field eliciting screams from the crowd with every peal. With five minutes of full time remaining, the whole field lit up and referee Brown was left with no choice, hastily beckoning the players off.

The break lasted 15 minutes before officials decided it was safe to return. Lennon tried hard in the last few minutes in gathering gloom but if anything the home tam appeared the stronger at the end.

“We showed the heart of champions,” said STETHS technical director, Wendell Downswell. He added that in the second half particularly, his team played “good, tactical football.”

Lennon coach Merron Gordon thought the weather worked against his team. “STETHS dealt with the conditions better,” he said. He conceded that the STETHS strategy of holding back their leading striker Brown until the second half was “a good strategy in the end”.

The victory for STETHS, their second in the interzone round following a 1-0 win over Holmwood Technical means theya re now through to the quarter final round.

Lennon with a 4-0 win over Mile Gully High last week must await today’s clash with Holmwood Technical to know their fate.

Garfield Myers