SANTA CRUZ, St Elizabeth — Team officials, players and supporters of defending ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) had braced themselves for a stiff challenge from many-time champions Vere Technical High at the STETHS Sports Complex here on Wednesday.

They need not have worried as STETHS coasted to a 4-1 win.

By half-time STETHS were 3-0 up in the quarter-final clash, with two wonder goals from midfielder Cashine Constantine in the fourth and 44th minutes and striker Demar James’s expert left-footed effort in the 16th minute.

Vere pulled one back through Shandel Senior in the 67th minute, but five-time daCosta Cup champions STETHS promptly restored their three-goal margin in the 71st through leading goal-scorer Jovoney Brown.

In a move later described by coach Wayne White as “tactical”, Vere kept everyone waiting before arriving on or around the scheduled 3 o’clock start.

For onlookers, the move seemed to backfire. The visitors were disorganised in the early minutes and STETHS — authoritatively driven by midfielder and captain Chris-Andrew Dixon — took an early and decisive advantage.

An attack through the inside right position ended with Constantine looking up to see the Vere goalkeeper Jamoy Cruise off his goal line. Constantine, from 30 metres out, lobbed a right-footed shot which dipped perfectly just under the crossbar and into the net with Cruise helpless.

A few minutes later, with the Vere defence in disarray, James broke through to find the goalkeeper’s left-hand corner with his left-footed shot.

It was not until the 40th minute that Vere got their first meaningful attempt at goal, but Raheem Brown’s header from a left-side move soared over the bar.

Constantine then ended the game as a contest as the first half approached its death, swerving a right-footed free-kick which evaded the Vere defensive wall and kept swinging away from Cruise to find his right-hand corner.

Vere came alive in the second half and caught STETHS flat-footed. A fierce left-footed drive from Vere’s Ronaldo Thomas slammed into the crossbar of STETHS goalkeeper Kenroy Wallace. Another slick move ended with the ball in Wallace’s net, but the referee had blown for an infringement.

STETHS countered with Constantine kicking high after being nicely set up by Brown. Shortly after, James’s attempted lobbed shot was easily held by goalkeeper Davoyris Shan who replaced Cruise in the second half.

Vere harboured thoughts of a miraculous recovery when Senior capped a fine combination which left the STETHS defence in shambles, to push the ball past the towering Wallace for the visitors’ only goal.

As if stung, STETHS stepped up a gear to snuff out all hope for Vere. A driving attack down the left ended with Brown squeezing home for the hosts’ fourth goal.

And it was all STETHS in the dying minutes, with Brown missing no fewer than four clear scoring chances, denied by brilliant defensive work and his own errant shooting.

STETHS technical director of football Wendell Downswell was satisfied with the result which left his team with a perfect six points from two games with one game remaining in the quarter-final group.

“Tactically we were very disciplined,” he said of the STETHS team.

White had no blame for his team that is now tied on three points with Petersfield High.

“The objective in any football game is to outscore the opponents and today STETHS did that,” he said.

Fair Prospect High, without a point, are the other school in the group.

— Garfield Myers