Hot Rusea's win big again

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Champions Rusea's continued to advertise themselves as the team to beat in the 2011 Gatorade/ Digicel daCosta Cup yesterday afternoon, when they blanked Knockalva High 7-0 in their second-round Zone B fixture at Kenilworth in Hanover.

Rusea's, who had started their campaign with a 10-0 walloping of Green Island, were again masterfully served by last year's golden-boot winner Brian 'Rambo' Brown, who scored a hat-trick to go with the five goals he got in the first game.

"We played fairly well today but we should have won by a wider margin as our goalkeeper, Richard Trench, missed a penalty," said Rusea's coach Anthony 'Follies' Williams. "I still believe there is a lot of room for improvement in this team."

In another highly anticipated game in the west, 2008 champions St James High bowed into contention with an action-packed 3-2 win against Green Pond High School in their Zone A game at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay. The loss was Green Pond's second as they were beaten 1-0 by William Knibb High School in their opening game.

Jason Malcolm (two) and skipper Ajay Black (penalty) got the goals for St James High School, which gave coach Gregory Palmer a winning debut as the school's new coach. Green Pond's goals came courtesy of Michael McLean and Tevin Lawson.

Cornwall College, the competition's most successful team, notched their first win of the season, clipping Muschett High 1-0 in their Zone A fixture at Wakefield in Trelawny. In the other Zone A game, a spirited Spot Valley surprised William Knibb 2-1.

In a big surprise result in Zone F, many-time champions Munro College suffered a shock 2-0 loss to Black River High School, who were once the weaklings in the group. In the other big Zone F game, St Elizabeth Technical High School blanked Balaclava 5-0 to lead the group's standings.

In the game at Jarrett Park, St James took the lead in the 17th minute when a Green Pond defender handled the ball and the referee ruled for a penalty. Skipper Black booted in off the left upright, making the score 1-0. St James went further ahead in the 37th minute when the wily Malcolm ended a smart dribble with a superb strike, making the half-time score 2-0.

In the second half, Green Pond came roaring back and struck in the 69th minute through Lawson. Eight minutes later, they pulled level when Mclean got on the score-sheet, making the score 2-2.

However, with time running out in the game, Malcolm found the winner for St James High with a superb long-range strike, which left the goalkeeper a mere spectator, making the final score 3-2.

The competition, which is symbol of rural schoolboy football supremacy, will continue this afternoon with a series of interesting matchups in the competitive zones H and I, starting at 3:30 p.m.

Among the teams that will be on show today are former champions Clarendon College, who will be seeking to join early leaders Lennon and Edwin Allen atop the Zone H standings; Glenmuir, who will be seeking to join 207 champions Garvey Maceo atop the Zone I standings; and Vere Technical, who will be seeking to rebound from a first game loss with a win against Kemps Hill.