Late winner seals second-round berth for Cubans

A STOPPAGE-TIME winner from talismanic attacking midfielder, Cleo Clarke, saw defending champions Garvey Maceo coming away with a 2-1 win over Foga Road in their zone N ISSA daCosta Cup encounter at Foga Road in Clarendon yesterday.

The victory, which was the sixth straight for the Merron Gordon-coached Cubans, confirmed their second-round status following a table-topping 19 points from seven games. Foga Road remain in third place on 10 points from six matches, following what was just their second loss of the campaign.

In a contest which pitted the first-place Garvey Maceo against the third-place hosts Foga Road, the home side was gung-ho in their approach, seeing that a win would significantly improve their chances of going into the next phase of the competition.

That early pressure from the hosts would bear fruit, as they got the opening goal in the 17th minute when Antonio Straw was first to a rebound after goalkeeper Junior Stone spilt a catch from a free kick.

Foga Road defended stoutly after that, repelling attack after attack from Garvey Maceo. However, the visitors would eventually get a lifeline from a defensive error.

Foga Road captain Chadwrick Woolcock, in trying to prevent a left-sided cross from Clarke, turned the ball into his own net in the 68th minute, as a hapless Mario Henry in the Foga Road goal looked on.

The equalising goal spurred Garvey Maceo to go for the winner, and they would get it deep into second-half stoppage time.

A free kick straight from the training ground in the third minute of added time did the trick, as Clarke finished off an excellent pass from Nevaughn Myrie to the delight of coach Gordon.

worst game

“When I saw the set piece, I said to myself, if we can get it right, we will score. We worked on that very play up to late last night in training, and on a day like this where we played probably our worst game so far, it’s good to come away with the win.”

Losing coach Jason Clowson lamented what could have been, following a tough outing against the defending champions.

“It was a tactical battle against e very good Garvey Maceo team. We had a plan which worked for 90 plus minutes, but a lapse in concentration saw us conceding that late goal which cost us the game.”