It will be an all-Clarendon showdown to decide this year’s ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup champions, as reigning champions Clarendon College and Glenmuir High booked their spot in the final with penalty shootout victories over Garvey Maceo and Dinthill Technical in their respective semi-finals encounter on Saturday.

Clarendon College stopped Garvey Maceo 4-3 on penalties, after they played out a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time at Glenmuir High, to not only extended their unbeaten run, but also remain on course to secure the coveted triple.

Captain Malachi Douglas gave Clarendon College a 45+7-minute lead from the penalty spot, but Cleo Clarke (75^th) responded for Garvey Maceo with a penalty conversion of his own to send the game to the dreaded shootout.

There, Douglas, Keheim Dixon, Theon Cupee and Christopher Hull, all converted for Clarendon College, while the Chapelton-based substitute goalkeeper Lydel Rodney, denied Clarke and Omarion O’Brian hit his effort wide.

Meanwhile, Glenmuir defeated Dinthill Technical 4-2 on penalties after they played out a goalless stalemate in their contest at Manchester High.

Glenmuir, like Clarendon College is also on course of the treble, and both will be looking to go a step further when they contest their respective semi-finals of the ISSA Champions Cup all-island knockout tournament against Hydel and Kingston College, on Tuesday.

With that in mind, Clarendon College’s Head coach Lenworth “Teacha” Hyde is not only excited about the prospects, but also focused on keeping his players fit and healthy.

“We have been kicking penalties from about three or four months ago and this goalkeeper [Rodney] saved a lot in training and so we decided to put him in and it paid off,” Hyde said in a post-game interview.

“It will be a good matchup against Glenmuir, they are a ball playing team so I love playing against them, so we just have to go and prepare for that. But Tuesday is another crucial game against Hydel, so we are looking forward to getting the players rested, replenished and ready for Tuesday’s game,” he added.

It was a cagey start to the contest by Clarendon College’s standard, but they gradually came into their own after a brief break to facilitate a kit change.

They went close to break the deal in the 18th when Deandre Gallimore’s header came off the upright, and Christopher Maxwell, in goal for Garvey Maceo, denied Hull on the rebound.

Two minute later Dixon’s shot from close range was kept out by Maxwell’s reflex save diving to his right.

Clarendon College eventually broke the deadlock through Douglas, who picked himself up and converted a penalty for his 16^th goal of the season, after he was felled inside the area.

Garvey Maceo came out probing on the resumption and almost pulled level six minutes in when Clarke’s well-struck left-footed freekick had Roshae Burrell, who started in goal for Clarendon College, beaten but the effort came back off the crossbar.

Clarke was at it again four minutes later, as he charged into the box and drove a right-footer that was kept out by Burrell, who got down well in time at his near post.

Garvey Maceo’s press inevitably saw them back on level terms when Clarke converted from the 12-yard spot, after O’Brian was felled inside the red zone.

Clarke’s 23rd goal of the season injected some tempo in Garvey Maceo’s charge, as they pushed for the winner, while Clarendon College replaced Burrell with Rodney in anticipation of penalties, and they moved proved fruitful.

Garvey Maceo’s Head coach took heart from his team’s campaign.

“We planned for them, and I think we did really well tactically. The team stuck to the task right through and I think this game was fitting of a final. But hats off to coach Lenny and Clarendon College, and congratulations to my boys because when we started the season no one expected us to do so well,” Gordon said.