DESPITE having to come from behind twice to earn a point in their 2-2 draw against neighbours Kemps Hill High in the opening ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup game at Sabina Park yesterday, Coach Merron Gordon thinks it is too early to panic.

Kemps Hill pulled off a surprise as they led the champions twice and held on for a point, matching their total from last season as well as their total goals against their more-fancied rivals in their last seven games dating back 12 years.

It was the second time that the schools had played out a 2-2 draw — the other one coming in the 2010 season — and the only two games during which Kemps Hill had scored against Garvey Maceo who also snapped a 13-game winning streak after going undefeated all of last season in the daCosta Cup.

Meanwhile, there were big wins for last season’s beaten finalists Manning’s School and former champions St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) as they opened their accounts.

At Sabina Park the champions, who beat Kemps Hill 3-0 last year, had to come from behind twice as Conroy Burke and Jerome Donalds scored for Kemps Hill while Garvey Maceo got equalisers from Nevaughn Myrie and Orlando Lawrence.

Gordon told reporters after the game, “It’s not a setback; it is the first game of the competition. Yes, we wanted three points and we have to reassess and come back.”

He, however, admitted the result was frustrating.

“When you create so many chances and can’t put the ball into the back of the net, you are going to be punished — and Kemps Hill scored two goals and hats off to them. I think their goalkeeper was excellent today and made some tremendous saves, but we got too many easy chances and did not put them away,” Gordon said.

On the positive side, though, he said, “Our performances was good, we just did not put away the goals. If we had scored the goals we would have put the game away a long time, but such is football. We just go back and work again.”

Dwight Smith, who was earning his first point against Garvey Maceo since taking over in 2012 and had lost all three games, thought they could have taken all three points.

“To be honest, it was a bit disappointing but we are not going to bash them too much,” he said. “We had a comfortable 2-1 lead and a mistake allowed them back into the game and we got a chance to go 3-2 up.”

He said, however, getting a point was good.

“To open the competition and get a point is always a positive result. We are just coming out of preseason and had jitters and, worse off, [we were] playing the defending champions so they were going to be nervous.

“The good thing is that we scored first, and that eliminated most of the nerves. And it’s a big deal to hold the defending champions to a draw and we are looking forward to the next game.”

Kemps Hill, who had failed to score against Garvey Maceo in six of seven previous games, took the lead in the 24th minute when Burke tapped in from about two feet after a cross from Richard Robinson found him near the far post. But Myrie levelled in the 38th minute when his shot from outside the 18-yard box got under goalkeeper Raheem Reid as they were level 1-1 at half-time.

Donalds restored the lead in the 48th minute when his long-range shot deflected off a defender and flew past goalkeeper Junior Stone.

Lawrence responded two minutes later, finishing off a good movement by the Garvey Maceo team to draw them level for a second time.

Reid made up for his blunder previously when he saved a point-blank shot in time added to earn his team a point.

Five different players scored for Manning’s School in their 5-1 win over Grange Hill, with all six goals coming in the second half.

Jhamaleek Porter, Dainton Williams, Rushawn Graham, Kajaye Williams and Shamar Hamilton were the scorers for Manning’s School.

STETHS blanked Sydney Pagon 4-0 to take the lead in Zone E as Munro College and Maggotty High played out a 1-1 draw and Lacovia and BB Coke High were scoreless.

Matthew Ellis scored a double for Charlemont High and Jason Blake got the other as they beat Enid Bennett High 3-1, with Rodgrick Youngsam scoring for the losers.

Results from yesterday:

Zone N

Garvey Maceo 2, Kemps Hill 2

Zone D

Black River 1, Godfrey Stewart High 1

Grange Hill 1, Manning’s 5

Zone E

Lacovia High 0, BB Coke High 0

Maggotty High 1, Munro College 1

Sydney Pagon STEM 0, STETHS 4

Zone J

Tacky High 4, St Mary High 0

Zone K

Enid Bennett High 1, Charlemont High 3

Ewarton High 1, Dinthill Technical 3

Guy’s Hill High 0, McGrath High 1