D’Cup final four complete

TWO-TIME WINNERS Dinthill Technical High School cruised into the final four of the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup football competition despite going down 2-1 to BB Coke High School at the St Elizabeth Techical Hight School Sports complex yesterday.

Three teams in Group B ended with six points on a day when all four were still in with a chance of making the semifinal.

Dinthill topped the group, with Garvey Maceo and BB Coke in tow with inferior goal differences. Garvey Maceo were second in the group, getting to six points courtesy of a 2-0 win over Cornwall College that helped them maintain the superior goal difference they came into the game with.

Cornwall ended the group stage fourth without a point.

The result means Dinthill face Glenmuir and Clarendon College are up against Garvey Maceo in the semifinals.

Seconds into the game, Dinthill’s Tyrese Gowe, the leading man in his lineup with 20 goals, sounded a warning when his shot was deflected by BB Coke shotstopper, Daniel Harris.

Still, it was the usual fast-starting BB Coke who gained the early advantage with Enrique Powell’s sixth-minute effort.

In the 57th BB Coke’s Sanjay Allen would extend his team lead. Dinthill’s Raheem Harris made the game tricky or BB Coke, with his 81st-minute goal.

Both teams went down to 10 men.

First, Dinthill’s Tameish Richardson was issued a second yellow, before BB Coke’s Jahmaul Wright was also sent for an early shower.

BB Coke outplayed Dinthill in the first half, not allowing them to settle with their high-octane football.

The boys from Top Hill would make their early dominance count when Powell took advantage of a free kick that was fumbled by the goalkeeper Asher Hutchinson.

Dinthill would grow into the game in the second half, with Gowe threatening again.

Despite Dinthill’s growing influence on the game, they were frustrated when Allen beat a defender down the left side before curling a 35-yard effort into the top right-hand corner of their net.

Dinthill, to their credit, increased the pace of their place and took charge from that moment on.

With all games being played simultaneously, Garvey Maceo had climbed above them in the group and pulling a goal back became paramount.

Then, from a corner, Harris struck home from a scramble before immediately being taken off the field with leg cramps.

With the game on a knife edge, Dinthill almost equalised but Richard Ewart’s one-on-one with the goalkeeper ended with a shot that went over.

According to Dinthill head coach, Oneil Thomas, the semifinals promise an improved team.

“For the next round, our plan is to sort out the little issues that we have. We need to straighten it up and get back to the way we were playing. I think we will be better in the next round. I think BB Coke came for it more than we wanted it today. It was a good game for us but kudos to BB Coke, they played well and scored two goals. We didn’t come to apply ourselves today, a lot of things have happened since yesterday, but we can’t really lament on that. It was inevitable that we were going to score a goal because how we were playing there were chances coming up a begging, but that’s how it goes in football,” Thomas explained.

Kemar Ricketts, head coach of B.B Coke, said his charges gave qualification their best shot.

“It is unfortunate we lost a player in the latter part of the game, but I think the guys played with effort, and I commend them. We fell short by the goal difference but gave our best. It has been a brilliant season. We had one hiccup against Garvey Maceo, and we couldn’t do much because some of the boys came down with Dengue Fever. We came out and we still gave it a good try. We are looking forward to Ben Francis and we will give it our best shot,” Ricketts said.

In Group A, the already qualified Clarendon College and Glenmuir met in a top-of-the-table clash with the former and defending champions coming away 2-1 winners to maintain their unbeaten streak this season.

Manchester went to Christiana, ending their run in the daCosta Cup with a 3-1 win.

Yesterday’s Results

B.B Coke 2-1 Dinthill

Garvey Maceo 2-0 Cornwall College

Clarendon College 2-1 Glenmuir

Christiana 1-3 Manchester