THEODORE Whitmore was pleased with the performance of the Cornwall College team in their come-from-behind 4-1 win over Montego Bay rivals Herbert Morrison Technical in their ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup Zone A game played at Montego Bay Sports Complex on Saturday.

The game was the third of a triple-header to mark the official opening of the schoolboy football season, after Manning Cup champions Mona High and daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College had made winning starts to the defence of their titles.

Fifteen daCosta Cup games were played on Saturday, including between ISSA Champions Cup holders Glenmuir High who beat Kemps Hill High 5-0 in their Zone I game, as well as 7-0 wins for Christiana High over Troy High in Zone G, and Garvey Maceo High over Winston Jones High in Zone I.

Herbert Morrison, who returned to the competition after sitting out last season, got off to a bright start and took the lead in the eighth minute but the 12-time champions rallied and ran out easy winners in the end, which was pleasing to Whitmore.

“I was very pleased with the team performance, first game of the season,” Whitmore told the Jamaica Observer, adding he was most impressed with the defensive aspect of the game, “I think we were solid. I didn’t think the opponent was really a threat but I think the letdown for me was our final action — we could have scored more goals.”

Whitmore, who is in his second stint as a high school football coach after previously guiding St James High, said, “There was a bit of complacency kicking at times, you know, but it was comfortable.”

Kenrick Picknight, a member of the Herbert Morrison coaching staff, said that despite a good start, their game broke down.

“It kind of fell apart towards the end,” he said. “I believe the occasion got the better of some of the boys but, considering that it is the first game, I expect them to recover well — and it’s our job as coaches to get them prepared for the next game.”

Picknight, a former Herbert Morrison goalkeeper, admitted to being, “Very disappointed, not only in the fact that Cornwall College got back in the game but how they got back in the game. I think we were in the ascendancy and we had a silly mistake that kinda broke that momentum. We conceded and yielded that momentum to the opponents but, all in all, I think if we were prepared to hang on to that lead and massage it better, the outcome would have been would have been different today.”

In Zone M, Port Antonio High defeated St Mary Technical 3-0 at Carder Park. Shavarie Walker led the way with a double, scoring in the 40th and 82nd minutes, with Kerone George scoring in the 60th minute.

Results from Saturday

Zone A

Cornwall College 4, Herbert Morrison 1

Zone F

Manchester High 3, Cross Keys 0

Zone G

Christiana High 7, Troy High 0

Alphansus Davis High 1, Knox College 0

Bellefield High 2, Mile Gully High 1

Alston High 0, Holmwood Technical 4

Zone H

Clarendon College 2, Denbigh High 1

Zone I

Porus High 1, Vere Tech 4

Old Harbour High 0, Foga Road High 0

Glenmuir High 5, Kemps Hill 0

Garvey Maceo High 7, Winston Jones High 0

Zone L

Paul Bogle High 0, Yallahs High 1

St Thomas Tech 0, Happy Grove High 3

Robert Lightbourne High 2, Seaforth High 4

Zone M

Port Antonio High 3, St Mary Tech 0