Cornwall College held off a hard charging Garvey Maceo team to win back to back ISSA/Freshhh Rural Area Under 14 title with a 5-3 victory in the finals played at Manchester High on Friday.
Attacking midfielder Kamali Powell scored twice for Cornwall College who will now prepare to defend their all-island title against Urban Area champions Jamaica College.
Unlike 2016 when they were unbeaten all season, the road to the final for Cornwall College was rocky as they finished second in their quarter-final group to STETHS who beat them 2-1, coming from a goal down in the last 10 minutes and also having to come from behind to earn a 2-2 draw at home against Lennon High.
In the semi-finals, Cornwall handed a good Rusea’s High team their first loss of the season, winning 1-0 in Lucea two days before the decider at Manchester High.
Garvey Maceo who were also second in their quarterfinal group beat STETHS 6-4 in sudden death penalties after they played out a 1-1 regulation and extra time score at STETHS.
Cornwall College started like a house on fire and led 3-0 in the 26 th minute but Garvey Maceo clawed their way back first to 3-1 then to 4-2 at half time and came to within a goal at 4-3 early in the second half.
Powell, who was one of four players who played last year who are still in the team, gave Cornwall the lead in the 5 th minute when he dribbled into the box and beat goalkeeper Christmar Maxwell with a well-placed shot.
Powell missed high from just outside the box in the 12 th minute but Darnell Brissett was on target in the 17 th minute and Cornwall College were flying when Powell headed home past Maxwell in the 26 th minute.
Garvey Maceo pulled one back in the 31 st minute when Javoy McKenzie got through the middle of the defence and hammered the ball past the Cornwall College goalkeeper Christopher Bernard.
Brandon Timberlake restored Cornwall College’s three goals advantage two minutes later when he bulled his way past the Garvey Maceo defence and punched the ball past Maxwell.
The Clarendon school did not let up however and pulled one back just before half time when Christopher Mundle scored to make the scores 4-2.
Garvey Maceo upped the tempo in the second half and put Cornwall College’s defence under pressure and were rewarded when Cleo Clarke poked one past Bernard four minutes into the restart to pull them to within a goal of tying up the game.
Garvey came close a few times but Raheim Russell, Clarke and Mundle were all off target and Cornwall wrapped up the game and the title in added time when Davian McLean who was a second half substitute rifled home a volley that hit the post at the back of the goal and came back out like a bullet.
