daCosta Cup exit on the cards for defending champs

A BEWILDERED Garvey Maceo coach Merron Gordon could hardly come up with the words to describe his team’s 1-0 defeat to Central High, which now leaves the defending champions on the brink of being booted from the ISSA daCosta Cup at the round of 16 stage.

Yesterday’s loss leaves Garvey Maceo at the foot of the four-team Zone ‘A’ standings with a single point and a minus-one goal difference. If the defending champions are to move on to the final eight, they will have to beat joint group leaders Manchester High by at least two clear goals.

The scenario all came down to Central High’s resilient display against the defending champions, who started the contest at a frenetic pace.

It took some astute defending by the centre-back pairing of Anrick Gordon and Emory Ayton to keep the ‘Cubans’ at bay in the first half.

Garvey Maceo came close to opening the scoring just before the half when Shaquille Blackstock headed a Christopher Mundle right-sided corner on to the crossbar with goalkeeper Leon Ricketts well beaten.

Talismanic striker Cleo Clarke also had his moments to open the scoring for Garvey Maceo, but in minute 55, his good work inside the area was undone by poor finishing as he watched as his left-footed effort from close range bounce past the right upright.

With the wet conditions hampering the free-flowing passing game which is synonymous with Garvey Maceo, the long balls played right into the hands of the tall Central defenders, who cleared their lines on most occasions.

A defensive slip-up in the 76th minute would eventually give Central the opening that they wanted.

Javel Barnes robbed a defender, who was trying to shield the ball out for a goal kick, before swiftly whipping in a low cross which substitute James Gallimore tapped in, beating goalkeeper Junior Stone’s effort to intercept.

Central then saw out the remaining minutes to send their fans into rapture as they inch closer to a final-eight berth.

“I am grateful for the spirited performance from my team. We came up with a result and I can’t ask for more. All we need to do now is to go to Manchester and complete the job,” said winning coach Jermain Douglas.

A dejected Merron Gordon says his team will have to do the business the hard way if they are to have a chance to defend their rural area title.

“We played a good game but I don’t know what really happened, I guess that is football as they say, but we have character and we will fight back and hopefully, we can pull through.”

Yesterday's Results

Manchester 2-1 Christiana

Central 1-0 Garvey Maceo

William Knibb 1-0 Cornwall College

Paul Bogle 0-2 Dinthill