Manning’s are 15th team to qualify for d’Cup second round
KINGSTON, Jamaica— Back-to-back semi-final qualifiers Manning’s School became the 15th team to qualify for the second round of the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup football competition on Wednesday after beating Knockalva Technical High School 3-0 in their return leg Zone D game played in Savanna-la-Mar.
The Everton Tomlinson-coached team who completed a sweep over Knockalva Technical, won their fifth game of the season to improve to 16 points and reclaim sole leadership of Zone D after going into the game trailing Petersfield High on goal-difference.
A point from Saturday’s final first round game against Grange Hill High will be sufficient for them to win the Zone.
Gregory Phillips scored twice on Wednesday and Akieme Gordon got the other goal for Manning’s School.
Meanwhile, Cornwall College, Cedric Titus High and ST Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) were declared winners of their respective zones after wins on Wednesday.
Cornwall College won Zone A for the first time since the 2019 season after beating Spot Valley High 4-1 in their return round game thanks to a double from Lincoln Cox and one each from Dane Buckley and Javaine Barnes.
The win took the 12- time champions to 23 points and after drawing 1-1 with Green Pond High, the best Irwin High can get is 22 points.
Cedric Titus edged Brown’s Town High 2-1 and improved to 25 points-more than any other team in Zone C can get -while STETHS’ 1-1 draw against arch rivals Munro College saw them inch up to an unassailable 23 points in Zone E.
BB Coke moved to within a point of advancing from Zone E after a 3-1 win over Lacovia High, snapping a two -game losing skid, while William Knibb Memorial kept their slim hopes of advancing alive after beating Ocho Rios High 2-0 in their Zone C play-off game.
Results from Wednesday’s games:
St James High 4, Maldon High 0
Spot Valley High 1, Cornwall College 4
Green Pond High 1, Irwin High 1
Ocho Rios High 0, William Knibb Memorial 2
Brown’s Town High 1, Cedric Titus High 2
Manning’s School 3, Knockalva Tech 0
BB Coke High 3, Lacovia High 1
Munro College 1, STETHS 1
Wycliffe Martin High 2, St Mary High 2
Horace Clarke High 4, Tacky High 1
Ewarton High 0, McGrath High 3
Charlemont High 1, Enid Bennett High 1
Kemps Hill 1, Foga Road 0
-Paul A Reid