Rusea’s revival ends in heartbreak

CHRISTIANA HIGH School booted 11-time champions Rusea’s High School from the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup football competition with a 0-0 draw in their second-leg, second-round game at the Collin Miller Sports Complex in Lucea yesterday.

The victory sealed a 3-0 aggregate win for Christiana, who had got the better of Rusea’s in the first leg of the tie.

Rusea’s may just have themselves to blame for the 0-0 scoreline, wasting multiple opportunities to get onto the scoresheet.

Khalil Joseph missed a penalty in the 31st minute when his cheeky attempt at a Panenka went directly into the hands of Christiana goalkeeper Davill Jarrett.

Christiana dominated the earlier stages of the first half, much to the frustration of the desperate Rusea’s.

Rusea’s would come into their own, threatening to reduce the deficit.

Dwayne Ambersley, coach of Rusea’s High, was heard during half-time telling his team: “By any means necessary, we need to score. If we score the first goal, we break them. As the second half starts, let us attack and score.”

Despite continuing to dominate the second half, Rusea’s were unable to grant their coach’s wishes. Though they kept fighting, Rusea’s found no way through.

SOLID DEFENCE

Christiana’s solid defence frustrated Rusea’s even as they found themselves with opportunities to get back into the tie.

Declan Nelson, coach of Christiana, said the team wanted to secure points.

“We keep working, and I hope the boys will get it when the time is right. The plans are to keep working hard, keep the boys focused, and see what happens from there. We did a lot of work in the preseason and it is paying off right now. The size of the field was in our favour as well. We are used to playing on surfaces like these. As a matter a fact, we play better on surfaces like these,” Nelson stated.

Ambusley called the season ‘disappointing’.

“With Rusea’s as a calibre school like this, we expected to at least advance to the quarter-finals this season. I know there will be a lot of criticism, heads are going to roll, but such is football. Today, we created numerous chances, but we never converted. The first game, we made too many mistakes and gave away three easy goals,” Ambusley explained.

“Moving forward, the team has to sit down and analyse and recap this season. We have to see where we went wrong as a team and look into some aspect of where we should be better, like recruiting and improving,” he added.

Other teams through to the quarter-finals are William Knibb, who mined a hard-fought 1-0 aggregate win over Central High yesterday, while Port Antonio broke the hearts of Manning’s, going through by way of the away goals rule after the teams played to a 2-2 aggregate.

Cornwall College booked their place on aggregate 3-2 against Black River High. Tacky High defeated first-place winner of Zone C, Cedric Titus 4-2, to advance.

Yesterday’s results:

Central 0-1 William Knibb

Frome 4-0 Vere

Mile Gully 2-1 Belair

Happy Grove 2-2 Ocho Rios

Dinthill 7-0 Horace Clarke

Cedric Titus 2-4 Tacky

Edwin Allen 1-3 McGrath

Garvey Maceo 9-0 St Mary High

Cornwall 0-1 Black River

Manchester 2-1 Munro

Rusea’s 0-0 Christiana

Clarendon 4-1 DeCarteret

Manning’s 2-1 Port Antonio