AFTER making back-to-back ISSA Champions Cup finals for the first time in the school’s history, Glenmuir High Head Coach Andrew Peart praised his team’s resilience and believes they’ve built a solid football programme for years to come.

The defending champions came from behind to beat Ocho Rios 5-1 in the semi-finals at the National Stadium on Wednesday, after Ocho Rios took a surprise lead in the 21st minute through forward Kaneil Brown.

However, the game was turned on its head minutes before the half-time break as a 40th-minute strike from Orel Miller and 42nd-minute header from Dunsting Cohen put Glenmuir ahead.

They would take full control of the game thereafter as Ronaldo Campbell, Nyron Allen and Orane Watson piled on further misery on Ocho Rios and in the process sent the Clarendon-based school into the final.

Peart says the win was a testament of the team’s attitude, despite falling behind in the game.

“As soon as the team gathered some momentum in the game, kept calm, kept the ball, and found the right opportunities while not trying to force the situation — even when we were a goal down — it worked out for us and it’s a situation we worked on,” he said.

“It says a lot about us and a lot about the young players on the team. They want to play, and in big games they can go on and do very well.”

Prior to Peart’s arrival, Glenmuir’s last schoolboy title was in 2012, but since 2022 he’s won two titles and made the final of the daCosta Cup. Peart says the hard work has been paying off.

“For the school, it’s very good. It shows some level of consistency in the programme that we’ve established so now it’s just about playing the games in front us,” he said.

Despite the defeat, Ocho Rios will have another shot at a title as they turn their attention to the daCosta Cup semi-finals set for next week.