Super finale
The grand spectacle of the third edition of the ISSA/FLOW Super Cup competition will see rural area kingpins Cornwall College opposing urban rivals Wolmer’s Boys’ in their first final next Saturday.
Cornwall College, the trendsetters out of Montego Bay, remain unbeaten this season as they defused the red-hot Clarendon College flame with a 4-2 score line in a high-quality semi-final encounter, which lived up to its billing, before a massive crowd inside Sabina Park.
The prolific Jourdaine Fletcher led the way for Cornwall College with his second three-timer in the competion with goals in the 59th, 62nd and 89th minutes, after young Aiden Jokomba found the opener in the 26th.
Shemar Hunter (36th) and captain Creggton Charlton (40th) were the scorers for Clarendon College.
Wolmer’s Boys’ booked their spot after defeating St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) 6-5 on penalties in sudden death after both teams were locked 1-1 after regulation and extra time.
Wolmer’s had taken the lead courtesy of a 15th-minute penalty by Alphanso Gooden, while STETHS forced the match into extra time when Demar James found an equaliser in the 87th minute.
In the first match, it was a battle to settle the argument oabout which is the better ‘CC’, and the team from the west claimed the status with flying colours over their central Jamaica-based counterparts in spectacular fashion.
Clarendon College made a spirited start as they wasted little time in getting settled, and dictated the pace of the early exchanges with a graceful exhibition of their attacking prowess.
National Under-17 representative Nicque Daley broke down the right channel before being brought down inside the area, but his appeal for a penalty was ignored by referee Grafique King.
Clarendon College went close in the 18th minute from a set play, but it took tidy glove work from custodian Jamario Hines to deny Donovan Noble from 20 yards out.
With Clarendon College pressing high, Cornwall College relished the opportunity to hit on the counter, and the dangerous Fletcher signalled intentions when he shook off his marker and released a firm left-footed shot which clipped the crossbar on its way over.
Cornwall College later grabbed the ascendancy four minutes to the half-hour mark, as Jokomba was on hand to slot home from close range after an embarrassing miskick from custodian Benjamin Williams.
The game took a dramatic shift over the next 14 minutes as Clarendon College came roaring back with two goals in quick succession. Hunter struck first with a beautifully driven left-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box, with Charlton producing an even more scrumptious effort from a 25-yard freekick which left Hines no chance in goal to make it 2-1 at the break.
The momentum stuck with the Chapleton-based Clarendon College on the resumption as they went on the probe to add to their tally.
But as it was in the first half, Cornwall College scored against the run of play and were back on level terms on the stroke of the hour mark when Fletcher converted from the 12-yard spot after the ball was handled inside the area by a defender.
Fletcher then found his second and Cornwall’s third three minutes later with a sweetly struck low left-footed freekick from about 30 yards as Williams was beaten all ends up.
The pesky Fletcher returned to complete the treble, which moved his tally to 26 goals this season, by breaking down the centre with two defenders in tow before calmly finishing from deep inside the area to cap off the win a minute from time.
Winning coach Dean Weatherly was pleased that his team proved their class in settling the argument.
“It’s good that we are in a final; it shows how hard we are working and everything is coming to the fore now. We are champions and we have to behave like champions… this is one of our goals that were set and we are moving up the ladder slowly but surely.
“It doesn’t matter who we meet, a final is a final and we just have to sit back, relax and prepare for it,” he told journalists in a post-game interview.
Lenny Hyde, technical director of Clarendon College, was left disappointed with the outcome.
“This is the nature of the game: you win some and you lose some, so we will just take our defeat and rally back again because we have three more trophies to play for. But I am disappointed because we didn’t play as how we normally would pass the ball around, but I think it’s the occasion that got to them,” he said.