Former champions Dinthill Technical made the most of a second chance to qualify for the second round of the ISSA/WATA daCsta Cup football competition, beating Zone K winners McGrath High 1-0 to be among eight teams to booked spots yesterday.

On Wednesday Dinthill Technical, who had just two points and seemed on their way out of the competition after the first round, were awarded six points after Charlemont High were found to have used an ineligible player in their games against them.

Twenty-six of the 32 spots in the second round are now filled, with the other six places, including the best two third-placed teams, expected to be filled tomorrow.

Yesterday also provided nail-biting finishes after Spalding High rebounded from losing their first two games to take second spot in Zone G, while Ocho Rios High qualified for the second round for the first time since the 2016 season, edging Brown’s Town on goal difference in Zone I.

William Knibb Memorial made their qualification safe by winning Zone C, Petersfield High joined Mannings School from Zone D, while Vere Technical and Central High, who will meet tomorrow, qualified from Zone N.

Additionally, six schools that have already qualified for the second round confirmed zone honours, including defending champions Clarendon College, last season’s beaten finalists Cornwall College, Manchester High, Alston High, Port Antonio High and Garvey Maceo High.

Annotto Bay High completed a perfect first round, winning all eight games in Zone J. Yesterday they beat hosts Tacky High 3-1, and are the only school in the competition to not drop a point so far this season.

In Linstead Jevonne Redman scored early in the game for Dinthill to avenge their first-round loss to McGrath High (13 points).

Dinthill Technical, semi-finalists last season, finished with 10 points to grab the runners-up spot.

Spalding High got off to a slow start but were unbeaten over their next eight games and ended with a bang, beating zone winners Alston High 2-0 yesterday. Spalding finished on 20 points and grabbed the second automatic spot.

Alston High had topped the zone before yesterday’s game, after amassing 22 points.

Oracabessa High completed a perfect return, round with a 1-0 win over Browns Town to win Zone I with 22 points, opening up the door for Ocho Rios High to just get their heads in front after a 0-0 draw against Marcus Garvey High.

Ocho Rios and Brown’s Town both ended on 17 points, but Ocho Rios had a goal difference of 12 to Browns Town’s 11.

William Knibb Memorial shook off a disappointing 2-2 draw against Cedric Titus on Wednesday to beat Spot Valley High 3-1, eliminating them from contention. William Knibb top Zone C with 16 points.

Cristojay Daley, Mark Lewis and Deano Thomas scored for William Knibb, who will meet Herbert Morrison tomorrow in a game that will help decide the runners-up.

Petersfield High thrashed Maud McLeod high 7-1 to snap a two-game winless run. They improve to 19 points and join Manning’s School.

In Zone N, Vere Technical and Central High both scored wins to book their spots in the next round. Vere Technical edged Foga Road to stay at the top on goal difference, while Central High got by Old Harbour High 2-1.

Yesterday’s results

Zone A

Cornwall College 1, Anchovy 0

Maldon 1, St James 3

Green Pond 1, Irwin 0

Zone B

Merlene Ottey 0, Green Island 5

Rusea’s 1, Hopewell 0

Zone C

Holland 0, Cedric Titus 5

William Knibb 3, Spot Valley 1

Zone D

Mannings 4, Godfrey Stewart 0

Belmont 1, Grange Hill 0

Maud McLeod 1, Petersfield 7

Zone E

Black River 3, Sydney Pagon 2

Lacovia 2, STETHS 4

Munro College 0, Maggotty High 0

Zone F

May Day 1, Belair 1

BB Coke 4, Mile Gully 1

Manchester 9, deCarteret College 0

Zone G

Christiana 4, Roger Clarke 1

Spalding 2, Alston 0

Knox 0, Holmwood 3

Zone H

Kellits 1, Edwin Allen 4

Lennon 0, Clarendon College 1

Zone I

Ocho Rios 0, Marcus Garvey 0

York Castle 3, Iona 2

Oracabessa 1, Browns Town 0

Zone J

St Mary Technical 0, Brimmervale 0

Tacky 1, Annotto Bay 3

Zone K

Dinthill 1, McGrath 0

Zone L

Fair Prospect 3, Titchfield 0

Port Antonio 3, Happy Grove 0

Zone M

Garvey Maceo 1, Bellefield 0

Glenmuir 3, Denbigh 0

Zone N

Central 2, Old Harbour 1

Vere 1, Foga Road 0

Zone O

St Thomas Technical 3, Yallahs 2

Morant Bay 0, Seaforth 4

Robert Lightbourne 1, Paul Bogle 0