CLARENDON, Jamaica — Kemps Hill High, McGrath High and Christiana High all secured victories on Thursday as the opening round of matches in the second phase of the ISSA daCosta Cup football competition concluded.

Kemps Hill, who reached the semi-finals for the first time last season, made a winning start to their second-round campaign with a 2-0 victory over Knox College at the Wembley Centre of Excellence.

The result saw Kemps Hill move into a share of the lead in Group 3 as they continued their push for another deep run in the competition.

Shamar Daley handed Kemps Hill the perfect start when he rose to head home a corner in the fourth minute, putting his team firmly in control of the encounter.

Knox College struggled to find a response, and Kemps Hill eventually put the result beyond doubt in the 84th minute when Ricardo Dean broke through the opposition’s defence to double the advantage and secure all three points.

Meanwhile, McGrath High also enjoyed a winning start to the second round, registering a 2-0 victory over BB Coke High at the latter’s home ground.

Jim Mitchell and Alex Williams were the goalscorers for McGrath, who collected maximum points to boost their chances of advancing to the next stage.

In Group 5, Christiana High battled to a narrow 1-0 victory over 10-man Lennon High in their encounter at Lennon.

The win gave Christiana a valuable three points as they opened their second-round campaign on a positive note.

— Paul A Reid