STETHS, Cornwall College and Cedric Titus top zones to advance in DaCosta Cup; Mile Gully through to second round for first time since 2018

By Sports Desk October 13, 2023
STETHS Head Coach, Omar Wedderburn. STETHS Head Coach, Omar Wedderburn.

Former champions Cornwall College and St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS), as well as Cedric Titus High, won their respective zones on Wednesday as the race for qualification points in the second round of the ISSA/Wata DaCosta Cup football competition heats up.

Lincoln Cox scored his second double of the season while Dane Buckley and Javaine Barnes scored one goal each as Cornwall College beat Spot Valley High 4-1 in their return round game as they cruised to 23 points and wrapped up Zone A honours.

Second-placed Irwin High, who were held 1-1 by Green Pond High at Green Pond, moved to 19 points, four points behind Cornwall College, with one game to go for both teams.

In another game, St James High beat Maldon High 4-0.

STETHS played out a 1-1 draw against Munro College at Munro, and the point took them to 23 at the top of Zone E, and any of the other teams cannot catch them.

BB Coke moved to 19 points, one point away from advancing from Zone E after a 3-1 win over Lacovia High.

Cedric Titus edged Browns Town High 2-1 and improved to 25 points more than any other team in Zone C can get, while William Knibb Memorial kept their slim hopes of advancing alive after beating Ocho Rios High 2-0 in their Zone C playoff game.

Wednesday also saw The Mannings School wrap up their spot in the second round after beating Knockabout Technical 3-0 in their return leg Zone D game played at the Mannings grounds.

Gregory Phillips scored twice while Akieme Gordon got the third.

The win carried Mannings School to 16 points from five wins and a draw as they reclaimed the lead from Petersfield High, who are tied on 13 points with Black River High.

Mannings School, who made it to the semi-finals in the last two competitions, can win the zone on Saturday’s final game against Grange Hill.

On Thursday, despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Knox College, Mile Gully High is the first second-round qualifier from Zone G.

The point Mile Gully earned from the return round game was enough to see them win the zone as they took their points tally to 19, four more than second-placed Christiana High and five more than Knox College.

It was Mile Gully’s first time qualifying for the second round since the 2018 season.

Belair High and Edwin Allen High are also through to the second round after both scored 2-0 wins on Thursday.

Christian Henry and Daniel Brown scored for Belair High in their win over May Day High to push their points tally to 24 to take the second spot behind Manchester High, who were 1-0 winners over DeCarteret College and took their points tally to 27.

Edwin Allen High, who won the Ben Francis KO two years ago, joined defending champions Clarendon College as the qualifiers from Zone H after beating Lennon High 2-0.

Jahleel Blackwood and team captain Kimolar Ferron scored to give Edwin Allen a 2-0 win over Lennon High in their first meeting of the season, improved to 18 points, and secured second place.

Champions Clarendon College extended their winning run to seven games with a 4-1 win over Thompson Town and are 21 points at the top of Zone H.

 

 

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