MONTEGO BAY, St James — Five schools, including two who had not qualified in at least two years, made progress to the Inter-zone round of the ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup football competition in yesterday’s return-leg games.

Denbigh High, who last qualified in 2011 and Spot Valley High who missed the Inter-zone round the last two seasons, join Manchester High, Port Antonio High and Vere Technical, as nine of the 32 spots that have now been filled.

Paul Bogle High, who went into yesterday’s round needing a draw to advance, were due to play a late game last evening.

Additionally, former champions Rusea’s High and Glenmuir High, who had qualified earlier, won their respective zones with comfortable wins over Merlene Ottey High and Garvey Maceo, respectively.

Denbigh High, who drew 1-1 with Porus to improve to eight points, will finish runners-up to Glenmuir who beat former champions Garvey Maceo 3-0 in the other Zone M game.

Glenmuir are on 13 points and cannot be passed at the top of the zone with a game in hand.

In Montego Bay, Spot Valley High gave up a last-minute equaliser at Herbert Morrison Technical, but their nine points mean they cannot finish lower than second place in Zone C with a game in hand.

William Knibb moved to second with a 1-0 win over Muschett who are on five points, the same as Herbert Morrison.

Manchester High continued their run through Zone F with a 5-0 whipping of Mile Gully with Duhaney Williams scoring three to take his tally to 14 goals, while Dennell Stewart and Kemar Whyte both got a goal each.

Manchester High are on 24 points and are just one point away from securing zone honours.

DeCarteret College passed Mile Gully into second place on 15 points after crushing Winston Jones High 7-1.

Vere Technical made it back to the Inter-zone round after a historic win over Kemps Hill as they won 2-1 to extend their lead atop Zone N with 16 points.

Port Antonio returned to the Inter-zone after a year’s absence, beating Titchfield High 2-1 in Zone L to be on 18 points and rebounded well from their loss to Fair Prospect on Wednesday.

Fair Prospect kept themselves in the race for a place in the Inter-zone after beating Buff Bay 2-1 and are on 13 points, needing just one more from two games to advance.

Rusea’s High won Zone B after a 6-0 win over Merlene Ottey High as Deshane Beckford scored a hat-trick and Giovanni Roach got two as they stayed unbeaten through five games.

Dinthill Technical, meantime, must wait at least one more game to secure their place in the next round after they were held 2-2 by Bog Walk High in Zone K.

In Montego Bay, Cornwall College missed a chance of winning Zone A after they drew 2-2 with St James High in a game where both schools had already secured their places in the Inter-zone round.

Cornwall College came from a goal down to lead 2-1 before St James High equalised late on in the second half.

Calwayne Allen gave St James High the lead, but Leonardo Murray equalised late in the first half and Peter-Lee Vassell converted a penalty kick in the second half to give Cornwall College the lead.

Akeem Campbell scored late in the game, however, as St James High snatched a point as Cornwall College ended their schedule on 12 points while St James are a point back with a game in hand.

In Zone E, St Elizabeth Technical beat long-time rivals Munro College 3-2, snapping their three-game win streak to move up a place to second on 15 points, one behind Lacovia who beat BB Coke 3-1.

— Paul Reid