ST ELIZABETH, Jamaica – St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) continued their perfect record in Zone E of the daCosta Cup with a 2-0 win over the previously unbeaten Maggotty High in Santa Cruz, on Saturday.

An early strike from Nicardo Smith in the fourth minute and Donte Campbell in the 91st minute were enough to secure all three points for the former champions.

With 4-0 and 2-0 victories over Sydney Pagon and Lacovia High respectively, STETHS were brimming with confidence and made the early pressure tell as they found the opener through Smith when he slotted home after a moment of hesitancy from goalkeeper Antonio Brooks.

With the wind in their sails, they continued to mount the pressure using the width of the field to their advantage down either flank. Maggotty, themselves, pressed for an equaliser, and while not creating anything clear-cut, did enough to get a few free kicks in threatening positions.

Maggotty saved their blushes towards the end of the first half when the goalkeeper failed to claim a looping free kick but the STETHS effort was cleared off the line by central defender Courtney Wallace.

The custodian made amends two minutes later when he saved brilliantly to parry around the post after the STETHS striker found himself unmarked inside the Maggotty penalty area.

In wet conditions, both teams pressed for a goal to open the scoring in the second half but both defences were up to the task. Maggotty had STETHS on the back foot towards the end of the half resulting in a number of corner kicks but all failing to trouble the score line. With the clock ticking away STETHS got a late corner after the goalkeeper failed to gather cleanly. Maggotty was made to pay as Campbell nodded home at the back post to secure the win.

Coach Xavier Hendricks of Maggotty cited defensive errors for his team’s loss. “I thought we were a bit unlucky to have gone down one-nil early in the game but we reorganised and fought valiantly. We created the chances but we just never got the goal.”

Winning coach, Omar Wedderburn, expressed disappointment with the performance but was happy with the result. “We met this evening’s objective, which was to get three points, at times it is not the performance that brings points, it’s the goals that bring points, and that’s what we got today. We’re happy for the three points and we take it one game at a time.”

STETHS will next play BB Coke High on Wednesday in Junction, while Maggotty will play Lacovia High at Lacovia, on Tuesday.