DENBIGH, Clarendon — Central High are surprise semi-finalists in the ISSA/Digicel daCosta Cup competition after beating Edwin Allen High 2-0 at Foga Road High on Tuesday to join Clarendon College as the qualifiers from Group A of the quarter-finals.

Central High qualified for their first-ever semi-finals on tie breaker after they finished on three points, same as Edwin Allen High and Dinthill Technical, who lost 4-0 to Clarendon College but had a better goal difference.

Manchester High topped Group B after handing Manning’s School their first loss of the season, winning 2-1 as both schools advanced to the next round.

All four schools will also take part in the first round of the ISSA All-island knock-out.

Central High had lost their first two games and were counted out by most, but assistant coach Adrian Reeves said despite their dismal position after their first two games, “we knew what we had to do and we were hoping that Clarendon College would do what they can do”.

“This is big for the school and for the players; they created history,” Reeves told the Jamaica Observer.

“[We are] taking things one step at a time; we set out our plans at the start of the season: get out of the first round, get through the second round and get to the round of 16, then to the quarter-finals, which was our second time, and here we are now in the semi-finals,” he said.

Shane Gordon and Nathaniel Howe were the scorers for Central High as they will be in uncharted waters from now on.

In the second game of a double-header at St Elizabeth Technical, Malachi Douglass scored two penalties in the 32nd and 43rd minutes to give Clarendon College a 2-0 lead over Dinthill Technical at half time and Kaheim Dixon added a third from the spot in the 59th minute, while Marques Reid added a fourth in the 74th minute.

In the first game, Manchester High joined Clarendon College in winning all three games in the quarter-finals as goals from Michael Soares and Yareke Carnegie gave them the edge over Manning’s School who got a goal from Kajaye Williams.

Tuesday’s results

Manchester 2, Manning’s 1

Frome Tech 0, William Knibb 0

Dinthill Technical 0, Clarendon 4

Edwin Allen 0, Central 2