Clarke goal nets win for Whitmore’s St James

WESTERN BUREAU:

Neil Clarke scored the only goal in an ISSA-FLOW daCosta Cup inter-zone football match that deserved a few more to lift St James High to a scintillating 1-0 victory at the expense of The Mannings School in the second match of a Jarrett Park triple-header yesterday.

In the first game, Petersfield High defeated Herbert Morrison Technical 3-0 in Zone Two and moved their tally to four points after two rounds.

Clarke took his chance with calm in the 47th minute, enhancing his team's shot at advancing to the next round. The win lifted them atop Zone One on six points, two more than second-place Frome Technical.

Frome dispatched Spot Valley 3-0 at Frome Sports Complex.

At Jarrett Park, Clarke was exceptional and Manning's defenders were left searching for a way to stop his mesmerising dribbles. He was not alone, however, as his strike partners, Radcliff Dawkins and Ronaldo McLeish, were also brilliant once again for the Theodore Whitmore-coached team.

"I thought we should have scored another two or more goals, but so it is with us this season. We are not putting away the number of chances we have been creating, but we keep on winning and that is the great thing about it," said Whitmore.

He told The Sunday Gleaner his team is building for the Super Cup and hopes they will continue improving.

Mannings, though defeated, were not embarrassed. They had their moments, but poor execution in front of the goal proved their downfall.

Tafari Cunningham should have, at least, hit the target with his effort midway the first half and, had he scored, perhaps it would have given the contest a different flavour.

They remain on a single point following yesterday's defeat, but will want to end on a good note when they next tackle Spot Valley, who will be playing for pride come Tuesday at 2 p.m., also at Jarrett Park.

Meanwhile, defending champions Clarendon College tagged Lennon High 2-0 at Kirkvine, recording their second straight win in this round of the competition to jump into the lead in Zone Four with maximum six points.

St Elizabeth Technical High School took control of Zone Three with a 3-0 drubbing of Lennon High at their Santa Cruz base to notch their sixth point of the round.