Cornwall win throws d Cup Zone A wide open

Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

ZONE A of the 2011 ISSA/Gatorade/ Digicel daCosta Cup was thrown wide open yesterday afternoon when many-time champions Cornwall College joined early leaders St James High atop the group standings, after they defeated Irwin High 2-0 and Spot Valley clipped St James High 2-1.

As a consequence of yesterday's results, the group standings now read St James High and Cornwall College on 20 points each, Spot Valley 19 and Green Pond, who were inactive yesterday, on 16. All four teams are still in with a live shot of making the inter-zone round.

In their game against Irwin High, the resurgent Cornwall College had to dig deep, but in the end goals by Ricardo Wilson and Odean Irons gave them their fourth consecutive win after their dismal first-round showing.

"This is where we have been working to reach, as our initial intention was to top the zone and qualify for the Ben Francis Cup," said Hopeton Gilchrist, Corwall's coach.

"Now that we are in with a shot at winning the group we will be giving it our best shot," he added.

In Zone G, the consistent Manchester High not only joined the group of inter-zone qualifiers, but also secured the group's sole Ben Francis KO slot with their 1-0 win against Bellefield, which lifted them to an unassailable 27 points.

In Zone F, defending Ben Francis KO champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) all but sealed their Ben Francis KO slot after notching a 2-0 win against Black River, which moved them up to 28 points. STETHS can be caught on points, but cannot be surpassed.

The competition will continue this afternoon with a series of games in zones C, D, E, H, I, K and L.

Several teams are in with a good chance of joining the early inter-zone qualifiers. Among the teams on the verge of qualification are Manning's and Grange Hill in Zone E, Clarendon College in Zone H, Glenmuir in Zone I and Buff Bay in Zone K.

The game that should generate the most interest is the big Zone H top-of-the-table clash between leaders Clarendon College (26) and third-place Edwin Allen (24), who are locked in a three-way tie with second place Lennon High (25) for the group's two inter-zone places.

Should Glenmuir - in second place on 25 points - falter in Zone I, the game between early qualifiers Denbigh High (27) and third-place Garvey Maceo (19) could become interesting, as a win for Garvey Maceo would see them joining Glenmuir on 25 points. It should be noted that Glenmuir have two outstanding games.

Zone A

Spot Valley 2 St James 1

William Knibb 1 Muschett 0

Cornwall 2 Irwin 0

Zone B

Frome 7 Green Island 2

Zone F

DeCarteret 1 Lacovia 1

STETHS 2 Black River 0

Balaclava 3 Newell 0

Zone G

Manchester 1 Bellefield 0

Mile Gully 1 Knox 1

Today's Games

Zone C

Ocho Rios vs Albert Town

Cedric Titus vs York Castle

Marcus Garvey vs Brown's Town

Zone D

St Mary High vs Brimmervale

Iona vs St Mary Technical

Zone E

Maud McLeod vs Little London

Godfrey Stewart vs Grange Hill

Manning's vs Petersfield

Zone H

Clarendon vs Edwin Allen

Porus vs Lennon

Thompson Town vs Alston

Zone I

Denbigh vs Garvey Maceo

Glenmuir vs Vere

Bustamante vs Central

Zone K

Fair Prospect vs Happy Grove

Buff Bay vs Titchfield

Port Antonio vs Annotto Bay