Excelsior High comfortably progressed to the next round of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/FLOW Super Cup following a 5-0 spanking of Ocho Rios High in a lopsided, first-round contest at Sabina Park yesterday.

The in-form Mountain View Avenue-based team stamped their class with goals from Kimani DeCombre (fifth), Cadine Graham (12th), Ryan Spence (29th), Chad McKen (49th), and substitute Raewin Senior (87th).

Excelsior, who have lost only once this season — on penalties — will meet the winner of the Wolmer’s Boys’ versus Little London feature game of the double-header. Wolmer’s Boys’ led that contest 2-0 at half-time.

Xavier Gilbert, a member of Excelsior High coaching team, lauded his team for a stellar performance.

“I think it was a good game; I thought we played well, we dominated the game and we wanted to get an early goal to set us up. Fortunately, we got two, and I think we just killed the game from there,” he told the Jamaica Observer in a post-game interview.

“We tried to keep possession, but they had their little period of dominance, and I think we were the better team. And getting five goals in this competition is a job well done; so I must commend the team,” Gilbert added.

His counterpart Calington Dodd felt his team paid too much respect to their opponents.

“I think we gave them too much space in the first half, and they hurt us from it. But [in] the second half we changed that and asked the players to get in a little earlier; and I think they did a lot better on that,” he noted.

After a slightly tentative start, Excelsior settled briskly and grabbed the ascendancy through DeCombre, who slotted home from close range after custodian Khari Williams was hesitant in his approach to a cross from Alain Skerritt.

Ocho Rios were barely allowed to settle before the lead was doubled seven minutes later. The diminutive Graham popped up between defenders to expertly head home after the initial cross from Christopher Thorpe was headed on by Alique Skerritt.

They continued their dominance with a few colourful passes with Spence, who sported the number 13 jersey, proving a menace to his opponents. The tall, left-footed player made his presence felt in the 27th minute, but his spanking shot from the top of the box was parried by Williams.

However, a more delicate and well-placed chip shot from basically the same spot two minutes later left Williams no chance.

Spence was at it again seven minutes past the half-hour mark, this time with another well-struck shot from about 25 yards out, but Williams, diving full stretch to his right, did well to parry, as the score remained 3-0 at the break.

Despite a more spirited display by Ocho Rios, Excelsior High extended their lead four minutes on the resumption on the counter-attack when McKen dazzled the lone defender before releasing a sweetly struck, curling, right-footed shot from 20 yards out that had Williams beaten at his near post.

Ocho Rios would not give up and briefly enjoyed a period of dominance, where they should have registered on the scoresheet, but poor decision-making and faulting shooting denied them a goal. Dejayne Johnson had a grand opportunity to give Ocho Rios a consolation in the latter stages of the contest, but his shot sailed wide of the upright which summed up the night for the visiting team.

This allowed Excelsior to seal the deal and Senior, who had earlier replaced McKen, calmly finished from close range after a one-two combination with Spence saw him through on goal three minutes from time.