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Glenmuir take Ben Francis Cup, extend Munro drought
Paul Reid
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Munro College's major schoolboy football title drought was extended by at least a month on Saturday after they were beaten 3-0 by Glenmuir High in the final, of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Ben Francis Knockout competition at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex.
Despite the Munro supporters, including several prominent past students, outnumbering the Glenmuir High support by roughly three to one, it was the Clarendon team that lifted the trophy at the end of play.
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| Neville Francis (left) of Glenmuir beats Munro College's Rasheem Eccleston to the ball in Saturday's ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Ben Francis KO finals played at STETHS. Glenmuir won 3-0. (Photos: Paul Reid) |
Munro, who have not won a major title since 1964, will have to hope to come away with the daCosta Cup title in the final set for December 5.
Saturday's final was the third in a row for Munro, since 2000, when they have failed to score a goal after being beaten 4-0 in the 2000 daCosta Cup final and 2-0 in the 2003 Ben Francis - both times by Cornwall College.
Munro, who would have gone into the game as slight favourites, appeared flat and uninspired for long periods during the game and might not have recovered sufficiently from their emotional 3-2 win over St James High in the semi-finals on Wednesday.
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| Aneisha Hyatt (right), account development representative - West of Pepsi, hands over the Ben Francis Knockout trophy to Ricardo Webb, captain of the Glenmuir High team, after they beat Munro College 3-0 in the final played at STETHS Saturday. |
Munro scored twice in the final 17 minutes against St James High, who won the title last year, and watched as the Montego Bay school missed a penalty in time added to preserve their win.
Glenmuir, who have won five previous titles, had edged Paul Bogle High 1-0 in their semi-final at Jamalco, but stepped up a gear or two on Saturday.
They took the lead against the run of play when captain Ricardo Webb deflected a free kick taken from just on the edge of the 18-yard box on the right side past the left hand of the diving Lloyd Tyme in the Munro goal in the 31st minute.
Tyme could be blamed for the second goal as he misjudged Jamal Jackson's free kick from the right side that flew past him and lodged in the far left corner of the goal in the 81st minute as Glenmuir doubled their lead.
Paul Wilson saved the best for last as, with three minutes to go, he collected a long-searching pass from the left side, beat Channer twice, while dribbling into the area, before scoring off the inside of the left post with a curling shot.
Meanwhile the Inter-zone round is set to get underway tomorrow with 12 games.
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