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• Trinidadian Lewis at the double as STETHS rally to edge Frome in Ben Francis Cup semis

  Six-time champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) are on course to secure another ISSA/Wata Ben Francis Cup crown as they showcased resilience and attacking flair to secure a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Frome Technical in a closely contested semi-final encounter at Glenmuir High School on Tuesday.

  A brace from Trinidadian Kaieem Lewis (64th and 73rd) and a first-half strike from Justin McPherson (17th) saw STETHS into the final after

  Frome took the lead twice through Antwayne Cooper (3rd) and Stevaughn Spence (50th).

  STETHS now await the winner of the Clarendon College versus Denbigh High clash.

  Winning coach Omar Wedderburn lauded his team’s fighting spirit and welcomed the prospect of possibly capping their season with silverware.

  "Well, the boys have to want it more than me. I really want to be in the National Stadium to end the season, and I asked what their plan was. They showed what they want, so from here it’s the road to the National Stadium. PPW…play, perform, win—that is our focus for the next game,” Wedderburn declared.

  The match was a rollercoaster of emotions for both teams, more so for STETHS, who were asked to chase the game from the start.

  This, as Frome Technical wasted no time asserting themselves and briskly broke the deadlock when Uriel Lemphard's pinpoint long pass found Cooper, who headed past a hesitant Johnoi Steadman in goal for STETHS.

  The early strike stunned the STETHS faithful as Frome maintained the pressure in what was a decent passage of play. They forced errors in STETHS' backline, but despite creating opportunities, failed to convert their dominance into a second goal.

  STETHS slowly settled into their rhythm and went close in the 16th minute through Henry Johnson, but his left-footed effort was tipped over the bar by Frome’s custodian, Oral Davis.

  However, STETHS got their breakthrough a minute later when McPherson’s shot from deep inside the box took a wicked deflection, leaving Davis helpless.

  McPherson continued to trouble Frome’s defence, but his 37th-minute shot was comfortably gathered by Davis.

  At the other end, Frome’s Stevaughn Spence unleashed a venomous right-footer from the edge of the 18-yard box in the 40th minute, forcing Steadman into a diving save to keep the scores level at halftime.

  Much like they did at the start, Frome again came out on the front foot and broke the deadlock five minutes in through talismanic captain Spence, who registered his 21st goal of the season with a stunning free-kick from a tight angle, beating Steadman at his near post.

  Frome seemed poised to hold onto their advantage, but STETHS had other ideas.

  Lewis, the Trinidadian standout, began to assert himself in the second half. In the 61st minute, his low shot was brilliantly kept out by Davis’ outstretched leg, and moments later, Davis again denied Lewis with a close-range save.

  But persistence paid off in the 64th minute when Deandre Barnett danced through two defenders and slid a precise pass across the goal for a perfectly positioned Lewis to tuck home and pull STETHS level.

  With momentum firmly on their side, STETHS pushed forward relentlessly and found the winner when Lewis produced a moment of individual brilliance, slipping past three Frome defenders before driving the ball past a hapless Davis at his near post.

  Frome tried desperately to respond, but the STETHS held firm to break their opponents’ hearts.

  Frome’s Head coach, Cleighton Stephens, expressed pride in his team’s performance despite the loss.

  “I can’t say what went wrong in the backline today. It is like they didn’t want to play anymore football because those last two goals were really soft. But there are a lot of positives we can take away because we showed character and we were fighting, but congratulations to STETHS and well-tried Frome,” Stephens said.

• NYCFC part ways with Arsenal managerial candidate Cushing

  New York City FC have confirmed the departure of head coach Nick Cushing.

  Cushing joined New York City in 2020 as an assistant coach before taking the mantle of head coach in 2022.

  He made the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs in two of the three seasons as head coach, guiding NYCFC to the Eastern Conference Final in 2022.

  NYCFC fell short of winning the playoffs once more this year as they lost 2-0 to rivals New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Saturday.

  They had finished sixth in the Eastern Conference.

  "While we are incredibly appreciative for all [Cushing] has done for the club, at this current time, we believe it’s best to move the team in a new direction as we plan for the 2025 season and beyond," said sporting director David Lee.

  "We would like to sincerely thank Nick for his contributions and wish him and his family all the very best in their future endeavours."

  Cushing has been with the City Football Group for far longer, too, having taken the role of Manchester City Women's manager in 2013.

  He guided them through a pivotal time as they turned professional and won their first WSL, FA Cup and League Cup titles under his stewardship.

  It has been reported that Cushing is the primary managerial target for Arsenal Women following the departure of Jonas Eidevall, though he has previously quashed these rumours.

  Cushing dismissed those rumours previously, though he had also assured the media and NYCFC fans that he would be at the club next season.

• 'More in than out' – Slot insists Liverpool star Salah not distracted by contract row

  Liverpool boss Arne Slot does not believe Mohamed Salah has been distracted by his lack of a contract offer, after the Egyptian declared he was likely to leave the club.

  After scoring twice to fire Liverpool to a 3-2 Premier League victory over Southampton on Sunday, Salah made headlines with comments about his future in the mixed zone.

  Salah, who is out of contract at the end of the season, said he was "more out than in" due to Liverpool's failure to offer him new terms.

  Salah's comments come at a key time for Liverpool, who face Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday before taking on Manchester City in the league on Sunday – a win in that latter match would take them 11 points clear of Pep Guardiola's stuttering champions.

  Speaking at Tuesday's pre-match press conference, however, Slot insisted Salah maintains the same laser focus as always.

  "The only thing I can say is, when I look at my lineups, Mo is more in than out. That quote I can give you," Slot said.

  "He is not distracted at all. I haven't seen it after the Manchester United game when he made comments. I didn't see anything today, he is fully focused on the game tomorrow.

  "If you had been at the training ground today, no one spoke about it at least when I was there. Players are also focused on the short term. That is Real Madrid and City.

  "I don't think there is any distraction for him, the players and definitely not for me."

   

  Salah has scored 12 goals and provided 10 assists in 18 games across all competitions this season. Both of those are team-high figures, while he also leads all his Liverpool team-mates for chances created (32), shots (55) and shots on target (32).

  Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher responded to Salah's comments on his contract by describing the winger as "selfish" on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, but Slot preferred to focus on Salah's ability rather than be drawn into that debate.

  "I focus a bit more on what else Jamie said," said Slot when asked about Carragher's comments.

  "He said Mo is one of the five best players we ever had at this club. I agree with him. I don't think it distracts Mo. My main focus is the next game. We have another big game coming up after that.

  "I talked to Mo about what I expect from him, like I do with all the other players. I am not distracted at all by his comments and I do not feel his team-mates are as well."