It’s a STETHS-Dinthill daCosta Cup final
CLARENDON PARK, Clarendon — St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) will contest their fourth successive ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup final after edging Lennon High’s run 2-1 in semi-final action at a soggy Juici Park yesterday.
Full-back Neville Morgan gave the Santa Cruz-based school the lead in the 20th minute after floating home a 30-yard free-kick.
But the industrious Shawayne Nelson equalised for Lennon five minutes into the second half, before the prolific Michael Kerr settled the contest from the penalty spot in the 67th.
STETHS, who are looking to add the daCosta Cup to the Ben Francis Knockout title they won last Friday, will now meet Dinthill Technical in Saturday’s final at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
The St Catherine-based Dinthill needed extra-time to beat Manchester High 2-1 in their semi-final encounter on Friday.
“It was a good game,” said STETHS coach Omar Wedderburn. “Both teams represented themselves well, but I want to say congratulation to my boys and the coaching staff for reaching another final.
“We came here with one objective and they really stuck to the task, especially after Lennon equalised.”
Lennon’s Merron Gordon also thought his team gave a “good account of themselves”, despite failing to get “the desired result.”
Playing in moderate, but persistent showers and soggy underfoot conditions, both sides appeared evenly matched in the opening exchanges but it was STETHS who went into the half-time break with the advantage.
From what seemed like a harmless position on the left flank, Morgan sent a lofted free-kick into the box. But the Lennon goalkeeper, Shevoy Williams, who had an otherwise decent game, appeared to misjudge the flight of the ball as it floated over his head and into his net.
His teammates were not daunted, however, and they made amends in the 50th minute. Nelson received a through pass from substitute Kwesi Watts on the go and kept his composure to slot the ball under the collapsing Kenroy Wallace.
But it would take STETHS just 17 minutes to find the winner; a Lennon defender had handled the ball in the box and Kerr stepped up to slam home his 16th goal since the inter-zone round.
He will now face-off with Dinthill’s Rodave Murray for the goalscoring title when they meet in the championship game.
Murray, who scored both goals in Dinthill’s semi-final victory on Friday, trail Kerr by one goal since the start of the second round.