The ‘Cubans’ of Garvey Maceo High won their second ISSA DaCosta Cup title and the first in 15 years since 2007 after a throughout and complete 5- 0 hammering of first-time finalists Mannings Schools at the St Elizabeth Technical Sports Complex on Friday, January 21, 2022.
Gregory Cousins scored a hat trick and Cleo Clarke got a brace in one of the most lopsided finals in decades as Garvey Maceo completed an unbeaten season in the daCosta Cup while Mannings School lost for the first time.
Both finalists had created upsets in the semi-finals, Garvey Maceo beat two-time defending champions Clarendon College while Mannings School edged Dinthill Technical on penalty kicks.
Garvey Maceo’s win has seen schools from Clarendon win all titles at stake so far, Clarendon College won the Champions Cup last weekend and earlier in the day Edwin Allen won the Ben Francis KO, their first major football trophy.
In the daCosta Cup final, Mannings School ended the game with 10 men after Javin Williams was sent off in the second half after picking up a second yellow card.
Garvey Maceo raced to a 2-0 lead thanks to Cousins who scored in the 14th minute, skipping over one tackle before beating the goalkeeper, and again in the 35th minute when he scored from close range from a cross from Orlando Lawrence.
Clarke made it 3-0 just before halftime, picking up a long ball from his goalkeeper, beating two Mannings players before finding the back of the goal.
Garvey Maceo was held at bay until the 73rd minute with Mannings down a player before Cousins completed his hat trick scoring from a free-kick all along the ground with Clarke getting his second and his team’s fifth in the 85th minute.
