Glenmuir High continued their dominant march in the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup with an emphatic 5-2 victory over St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in their final Group A quarterfinal match on Saturday.
In a display of clinical finishing and cohesive play, Glenmuir, through goals from Orel Miller (12th), Conroy Nicely (32nd), Orane Watson (45th and 67th), and Ricardo Binns (90+1), overwhelmed their opponents at home in Santa Cruz to further solidify their status as title favourites. Justin McPherson (80th) and Shemmar Smith (83rd) got STETHS consolation.
The win saw Glenmuir finish atop the group with maximum nine points, five points ahead of McGrath High, who blanked Frome Technical 4-0 to also book a semi-final berth. They finished ahead of STETHS on goal difference after both ended on four points each.
Glenmuir’s Head coach, Andrew Peart, was again pleased with how his team went about business.
“Every game you play, you try not to concede but we can live with it. We were 4-0 up when we conceded so we can work on those. I thought today was one of the displays that you’re really proud of; at the start we weren’t really in control but we managed to settle and play our game and score some goals so again, I am really proud of them,” Peart said in a post-game interview.
Though a bit slow out the blocks, Glenmuir quickly gathered momentum and broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes when Miller capitalized on a perfectly weighted cross from Tajaun Cummings, rising above defenders to power a header into the net.
STETHS had a chance to respond shortly after but Deandre Barnett’s header struck the upright.
That was all STETHS would get at that point as Glenmuir extended their lead two minutes past the half-hour mark with a goal that showcased their set-piece prowess. A weighted corner kick from O’Neil Headly was cleverly flicked on by Dusting Cohen, allowing Nicely to tap in at the far post.
Watson added his name to the scoresheet just before halftime, when he slotted into an empty net after STETHS’ goalkeeper Johnoi Steadman advanced and failed to get a hand on Okeem Saunders’ perfectly measured cross. caused confusion in the STETHS defense, with misjudging the delivery as Glenmuir went 3-0 up at the interval.
Glenmuir maintained their attacking intensity at the restart, with Watson again proving troublesome.
In the 67th, Saunders once again played provider, delivering a precise pass that Watson controlled expertly before unleashing a powerful drive from the edge of the box. With that, his second goal of the game, Watson took his tally to 31 for the season, a testament to his exceptional form.
Despite trailing by four goals, STETHS showed resilience in the final 10 minutes. McPherson pulled one back in the 80th minute, finishing from close range to bring the home crowd to life.
Just three minutes later, McPherson turned provider, delivering a pinpoint cross that Stewart headed home for his fifth goal of the season.
However, Glenmuir had the final say as Binns found himself unmarked in the penalty area and easily headed home a perfectly floated cross from Cohen to complete the rout. It was Binns’ seventh goal of the season and a fitting end to a commanding performance.
STETHS’ Head coach Omar Wedderburn and his troops will now have to look to the Ben Francis Cup for redemption.
“We weren’t focused enough in the first half and three goals scored from the service. We tried to make some adjustments in the second half but it barely bore fruit but that’s how it is; it is a hard one to digest and we just have to do what we have to do,” he noted.
Saturday’s Results
Glenmuir 5, STETHS 2
McGrath 4, Frome Technical 0
Munro College 3, Central High 1
Ocho Rios 2, Garvey Maceo 0
While former champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) and Munro College played out a 1-1 stalemate, Maggotty High helped themselves to an 8-0 win over Roger Clarke in a ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup Zone E double-header in Santa Cruz on Saturday.
Ozwayne Miller (20th, 28th) and Roshane Lewis (60th, 64th), both had a brace for Maggotty, with Robinho Barrett (17th), Jeraine Robinson (51st), Chadrick Jackson (66th) and Daniel Martin (75th), also getting in on the act, as Roger Clarke were like lambs to the slaughter in the curtain-raiser.
The much-anticipated St Elizabeth derby feature contest, though not short on entertainment, did not serve up as much goals as D’andre Hibbert (35th) of STETHS and Munro’s captain Daniel Bowen (37th), ensured their teams a share of the spoils.
Despite the draw, STETHS remain at the summit of the zone on 10 points, one ahead of BB Coke (nine points), with Munro College inching up to eight points in third. Maggotty with their first win of the season, moved up to fifth on four points.
It was one-way traffic in favour of Maggotty High in the opening encounter which was reduced to 80 minutes following a lengthy delay caused by lightning.
Barrett opened the scoring with a neat finish, beating Raquan Powell in goal for Roger Clarke, at his near post.
Poor defending by Roger Clarke then allowed Miller to double the lead, as he latched on to, and tucked away a rebound.
Miller was again on target eight minutes later when he got in behind defenders and calmly slotted a left-footed effort beyond Powell, for his second on the day and third of the season.
Though up 3-0 at the break, Maggotty High were in no mood to let up and extended their lead six minutes into the resumption when Powell left his lines but failed to clear the ball properly. Robinson, who was on hand, capitalised as he fired the loose ball into an empty net.
On the hour-mark, Lewis went on the break down the right channel where he had time and space to dart into the 18-yard box and pick a spot to fire past the hapless Powell.
Lewis then grabbed his second and his team’s sixth, as he outpaced and outmuscled a defender before firing past the slightly advanced Powell in the 64th.
Jackson added his name to the scoresheet two minutes later. He picked up a pass from Lewis inside the 18-yard box and finished with aplomb.
And Martin applied the finishing touches to the rout when her converted from the penalty spot after Donte Blake, handled ball inside the danger area.
The feature contest lived up to billing for the most parts, as both STETHS and Munro were evenly poised throughout and nullified each other at both ends of the park.
It was STETHS that drew first blood when Hibbert applied a thumping right-footed finish to a pass from Ajay Smith. That was his fourth of the season.
However, their celebrations were short-lived as Munro replied soon after Roshane Wint headed on a ball for Bowen, who executed a sublime acrobatic finish on the volley, that gave Donte Campbell, in goal for STETHS, no chance at a save.
From there, both teams created their fair share of chances, particularly in the second half, but were unable to make them count.
Saturday’s results
Merlene Ottey 0, Green Island 1
Rusea’s High 1, Frome Tech 0
Discovery Bay High 0, York Castle 10
William Knibb Memorial 3, Cedric Titus 0
Aabuthnott Gallimore 2, Ferncourt High 5
Knockalva Technical 3, Black River High 1
Mannings School 3, Grange Hill High 0
Newell High 1, Lacovia High 3
Maggotty High 8, Roger Clarke 0
STETHS 1, Munro College 1
Manchester High 6, Mt St Joseph Catholic 0
deCarteret College 8, Cross Keys 0
Central High 16, Porus High 0
Vere Tech 2, Foga Road 1
Kemps Hill 1, Garvey Maceo High 1
May Day High vs Belair High (called off due to waterlogged field)
Lennon High vs Edwin Allen (called off due to lightning)
Clarendon College vs Thompson Town (called off due to lightning)
Carron Hall High vs St Mary High (rained out)
Wycliffe Martin High vs Horace Clarke (rained out)
Ocho Rios High vs Brown’s Town (rained out)
Trinidad & Tobago's women’s beach volleyball duo of Tysan Selvon and Britany Choon secured gold medals on the first stop of the CAZOVA U-23 tour at Pueblo El Pao in Santa Cruz, Trinidad & Tobago on Monday.
The hometown duo beat the Jamaican pair of Jade Parchment and Alexandria Ashman 21-18, 21-9 to take gold. The winners acknowledged the Jamaican encounter as their most competitive match of the entire tournament.
The second leg takes place at the same venue from August 26-28 and will see teams from Suriname, Barbados and Turks & Caicos.
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