Just under half of the field for the second round of the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup have been filled out with 13 schools led by defending champions Clarendon College have booked their spots as the return round of the first round winds down.
Anchovy High return for the first time since 2001 as they are the first qualifiers from Zone A; Frome Technical and Ruseas’s High are the two from Zone B, Mannings School from Zone D, Lennon High from Zone H, Annotto Bay in Zone J, McGrath and Charlemont in Zone K, Port Antonio and Happy Grove in Zone L and Garvey Maceo and Denbigh High in Zone M are also through.
In Saturday’s rain affected set of matches, Clarendon College, romped past Kellits High 6-0 and Lennon High edged Edwin Allen as both qualified from Zone H. Sheldon Smart scored a hat trick and David Chambers got a brace for the champions as they romped to their fourth straight win and improved to 13 points.
Lennon High benefited from an own goal to edge Edwin Allen 2-1 and take the second spot.
Anchovy High are back in the second round for the first time in 18 years after their 4-0 thrashing of Irwin High to take over the lead in Zone A with 20 points and are assured of at least second place in Zone A. In Lucea, Rusea’s High snapped their two games losing skid with a big 3-1 win over Zone B leaders and second round qualifiers Frome Technical in Lucea, avenging their loss in the first round.
Tyrique Clarke scored a brace and Kenroy Campbell got the other goal for Rusea’s High as they improved to 12 points as Frome lost for the first time this season but still leads the Zone with 18 points. Mannings School conceded for the first time all season, in their eighth game but came from 0-2 to outscore Petersfield High 3-2 in their Zone D top of the zone clash in Sav la Mar and clinch zone honours.
It was Petersfield High’s first loss and snapped a four games win streak and battle Belmont High who beat Maud McLeod 3-1, for the other automatic spot.
Surprise package McGrath High failed to win for the first time this season but the point they picked up from their 2-2 draw with Charlemont High was enough to see them top the zone with 13 points.
Charlemont who won the Ben Francis KO title last season also advanced to the second round after Enid Bennett and Dinthill Technical drew 1-1.
Happy Grove, despite their loss to last placed Fair Prospect and Port Antonio High who beat Titchfield High 5-0, will both advance from Zone L.
Port Antonio took over the lead from Happy Grove with 12 points. Garvey Maceo High and Denbigh High are also through to the second round after 2-1 wins over Glenmuir High and Bellefield High respectively in Zone M.
Garvey Maceo leads with 11 points, three more than Denbigh High.
