CATHERINE HALL, St James — St Elizabeth Technical High School won their fifth ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup football competition yesterday after edging Dinthill Technical High 1-0 in the final at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

Neville Morgan’s second-half goal gave the Santa Cruz-based school their fifth lien on the trophy, adding to those won in 1974, 1999, 2009 and 2013. Yesterday’s triumph marked their second rural area double after earlier winning the Ben Francis KO.

STETHS were in their fifth -straight daCosta Cup decider and sixth in the last seven years, and will now turn their attention to the elusive Olivier Shield against Manning Cup champions Jamaica College next weekend.

Dinthill Technical, who were in their first final since 1984 and were seeking to win their third title, came up just short as they failed to make use of the few chances they got.

Coach Anthony Patrick, who was seeking to join a select group of coaches to win both the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup titles, told the Jamaica Observer he was “very disappointed”.

“We made too many mistakes and did not take the chances that we got in the first half,” he noted.

The game started before a small, but very loud crowd under a clear sky dotted by puffy clouds, but both teams took a while to settle into a rhythm.

Led by the burly Michael Kerr, who ran at the Dinthill defence all evening, STETHS created the first openings, hitting the crossbar in the 20th minute from close range.

Dinthill’s Anton Rhule found himself with some time and space in the STETHS defence in the 28th minute, but side-footed a cross from the left side over the crossbar.

Kerr’s speed took him past his marker and into the Dinthill box in the 31st minute, but defenders Romario English and Dejoe Johnson quickly blocked him and cleared the ball out of the danger area.

Dinthill had another chance to score in the 38th minute, but Jahmari Ranger’s shot from the left flank flashed past the front of the STETHS goal and into touch.

Fortunately, the second half saw more end to end action as both teams increased the intensity, but the fitness of the STETHS players made the difference.

Kerr had two good scoring chances early in the half, miscuing a left-foot shot in the 47th minute and then dragging a shot wide in the 54th minute.

Two minutes after Dinthill goalkeeper George Brown saved a shot going low to his right to push the ball for a corner, STETHS scored the winning goal.

Morgan rose well in the area to head home powerfully in the 57th minute that gave Brown no chance to save.

Shawn Genus should have added a second goal in the 61st minute, but he missed from four yards out, sweeping a low cross from the right over the crossbar.

STETHS had yet another chance to put the game away in the 64th minute, but Travar McCollough’s free kick from 20 yards out rocked the crossbar and came back into play.

With Dinthill throwing everything into attack to at least tie up the scores, STETHS were given clear chances, but failed miserably.

In one instance, Romeo Wright had his shot blocked in the 80th minute after he was all alone with the custodian having dribbled all the way from his own half.

Rodave Murray, whose goalscoring prowess took Dinthill to the final, got his lone shot at goal in the 82nd minute, but his effort from midway the 18-yard box was smothered by goalkeeper Kenroy Wallace.