Former champions St Elizabeth Technical High (STETHS) and Clarendon College (CC) qualified for the final of the ISSA Ben Francis Cup after contrasting wins in Tuesday’s semi-finals played at Glenmuir High School in May Pen, Clarendon.

Kaieem Lewis scored a late double for STETHS who came from a goal down to outscore Frome Technical 3-2 while Clarendon College edged first-time semi-finalists Denbigh High 1-0 in the other game as both qualified for the December 7 final.

STETHS, who will be seeking a record-tying seventh title, won the last of their sixth-straight in 2015, while CC won most recently in 2017.

STETHS Head Coach Omar Wedderburn said after the game his team “came and executed well” and said they were eager for the final.

His counterpart at Frome, Cleighton Stephens, was not pleased with his team’s performance as they have won just once in their last six games after being unbeaten in their first 16 games.

It was also the third time in that sequence that they had given up a lead, including one to STETHS in the quarter-finals of the daCosta Cup.

“I couldn’t tell you what really happened with those guys in the back line today,” he said. “It’s like they didn’t want to play in the final, or they didn’t want to play any more games. Maybe they’re just tired and wanted to quit the season because it was really soft on those last two goals.”

Stephens found positives but he wished they had held out.

“At one time they showed character and were fighting,” he said.

Frome Technical raced to an early lead when Antwayne Cooper beat the STETHS goalkeeper Johnoi Steadman to a ball lofted into 18 yards box in the third minute and headed it into the unprotected goal.

STETHS drew level in the 17th minute when Justin McPherson’s shot from just outside the six yards box took a deflection off Frome defender Uriel Lemphard and just beat goalkeeper Oral Davis.

Another spectacular free kick from Stevaughn Spence restored Frome Technical’s lead, beating Steadman with sheer power from just on the left side of the 18 yards box, brushing by the goalkeeper’s glove on its way into the roof of the goal.

Lewis took over late in the game, first finishing off a brilliant solo effort from Deandre Barnett who provided him with a cross from the left so all he had to do was redirect it into the goal, tying up the scores at 2-2 in the 64th minute.

He then gave STETHS the lead for the first time in the game, scoring the winner in the 73rd minute after shaking off two defenders at the top of the 18 yards box, dribbled past two other defenders before beating Davis from close range.

A 54th minute penalty conversion from Justin Hayles decided the second game that failed to live up to expectations after the teams had shared 2-1 wins earlier in the season.

Denbigh dominated what CC’s manager Richard Palmer called “basically our under-16 team” but despite creating numerous scoring chances failed to convert.

After weathering waves of attacks from Denbigh High, CC also missed their fair share of scoring opportunities before a defender handled the ball in the area giving up the penalty.

After what was their worst season in decades, Palmer said afterwards they were happy to get to the final but added “this is the start of our pre-season”.

Denbigh coach Garfield Carney said they allowed Clarendon College to control the pace of the game.

“I think the Clarendon College team possessed the ball much better than the Denbigh team, and we were chasing for most of the game.”