GLENMUIR High strengthened their “title favourites” claims after a 4-3 win over an impressive Frome Technical in their ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup quarter-final Group A game played at Glenmuir High on Saturday.

Led by a hat-trick from Orane Watson, Glenmuir High came from two goals down — trailing 3-1 at half-time — to snatch a thrilling victory despite conceding the most goals in one game this season, handing Frome Technical their first loss of the season.

In direct contrast to the seven-goal thriller, it was the first time either team had allowed a goal in eight games combined, as Glenmuir High had not allowed a goal in their previous six games while Frome Technical had kept clean sheets in their last two, conceding only one goal in their last six games.

Glenmuir were the only team to score a win in the first set of games in the round, after Central High came back from 2-0 down after eight minutes to earn a 2-2 draw against Garvey Maceo High in a Group B game, while St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) and McGrath High also played out a 1-1 draw.

On Friday, Munro College and Ocho Rios High had also played out a 1-1 draw in their Group B game.

Glenmuir High Head Coach Andrew Peart was understandably pleased with his team’s gutsy win.

“You have to learn win in multiple ways,” he said. “You have to win when you score the first goal, you have to win coming from behind.

“Being two goals down, very well done from the boys overall.”

He admitted that Frome Technical’s Stevaughn Spence, who scored a goal and set up another, caused them some problems.

“We allowed too many situations where Spence could run down our left channel,” he said but explained what they did to stop him. “All they [Glenmuir] did was, just as they win the ball [we] dropped the line few yards deeper. Because when they win the ball they’re not going to play in midfield, they’re going to play direct — and that was the biggest adjustment for me in the second half, and just to secure possession of the ball a little bit more.”

Peart says scoring early in the second half to cut the deficit to one goal was also crucial.

Most of the second half was played in heavy rain — which made playing conditions difficult — but Peart said that did not matter in relation to their plan.

“It’s just a situation,” he said. “If you have somebody who wants to run in the channel who is strong and imposing and with good technique as well, then you have to create a deeper line so at least you will get to those balls played in space first, or he has to run and confront you if he gets the ball first. So, that was the biggest thing, not them going to the goal, but actually let him come to you or you win the first ball.”

Frome Coach Cleighton Stephens says his players’ failure to focus at crucial junctures in the game led to their first loss.

“It’s just a lack of concentration on our part as most of the goals that Glenmuir scored, including the penalty, you have to use your head in the game — on the free kick and especially the corner,” he said.

He agreed that the conditions were a factor.

“In football you have to adjust to the condition, and we didn’t adjust fast enough and we ended up paying for it,” he said.