Cornwall College carries western Ja’s hopes for daCosta Cup title
MONTEGO BAY, St James — Cornwall College will fly the flag for western Jamaica after being the only western- based school to qualify for the semi-finals of the ISSA/ Wata daCosta Cup football competition, following the completion of the quarter-final round on Tuesday, when they beat Maggotty High 3-0 at Jarrett Park to top Group 2 with six points.
The 12- time champions will meet former winners Dinthill Technical in one semi-final at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on November 13, while defending champions Clarendon College and first- time qualifiers McGrath High are to meet in the other semi-final for a place in the November 30 final.
Cornwall College will also get the chance to defend their ISSA Champions Cup and will be accompanied in the first round by Westmoreland schools Manning’s School and Frome Technical, who were both second in their groups.
Anchovy High will contest the Ben Francis KO for the first time, and will join Manning’s School and Frome Technical in that competition that is set to start next Wednesday.
Meanwhile on Tuesday, Brandon Curate who made the best of his start, replacing Solano Birch who missed the game through suspension, scoring his first hat- trick as Cornwall College rebounded from Saturday’s 0-1 loss against Manchester High.
With Garvey Maceo beating Manchester High 3-2 in Mandeville, both schools finished with six points, but Cornwall College topped Group 2 on the first tie-breaker, better goal difference.
Curate who missed the last two seasons for a variety of reasons including injury, scored in the 45th minute as Cornwall led 1-0 at half- time then added goals in the 73rd and 78th minutes.
Meanwhile, Manning’s School who lost their first game in the quarter-finals and had to come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against Anchovy High on Saturday, edged Cedric Titus High 1-0 to finish second in Group 1 on goal difference over Anchovy High, earning the right to play in the Champions KO and Ben Francis.
The Godfrey Drummond-coached Manning’s School will face many-time champions St Elizabeth Technical in the first-round of the Ben Francis KO on Wednesday.
Frome Technical lost at home to a resurgent Dinthill Technical team, but finished second in Group 3, and will take on Manchester High in the first-round of the Ben Francis KO, while Anchovy High, who were beaten 7-0 by Clarendon College finished third in Zone 1, and will get to face BB Coke in the KO competition.
