Western Bureau:

Dinthill Technical High School shocked William Knibb Memorial High School 3-0 in their ISSA/daCosta Cup football competition round of 16 match at Drax Hall in St Ann yesterday to book their place in the quarterfinals.

Despite the result, William Knibb also booked a place in the quarterfinals of the competition after Cornwall College, playing on their home ground, squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Paul Bogle High School. Dinthill topped the group with six points, the same as William Knibb, but with a superior goal difference. Cornwall ended on four and Paul Bogle on one.

Before yesterday’s game, William Knibb had not conceded a goal all season but misfortune hit them seven minutes into the game when they had to make a forced substitution as their central defender Orville Brown, who was still recovering from the flu, could not go on.

Dinthill took the lead 10 minutes later when Kimani Small scored. With 10 minutes left in the first half, the reliable Giovanni Afflick’s 19th goal of the season doubled their lead and give the St Catherine-based team one foot in the quarterfinals.

After the interval, Dinthill kept pushing for the third goal and it came in the 86th minute when Daniel Roberts broke through the William Knibb defence and slotted home to give his school a deserved win.

Despite going up against a team with a strong defence, Dinthill’s coach Oniel Thomas said that were never worried as they have scored in every game this season and they had momentum coming into the game.

“It was a good game by the team. We went home and did the work after a tough game against Paul Bogle. We brought that momentum into the game and executed the plan,” Thomas said.

“We were never worried at all because this team can dig in and has been doing that all season. It’s a young team but they are fighters,” he added.

Coach of William Knibb, Dwight Jeremiah, said they were handicapped from before the game by illness but are happy to have lived to fight another day.

“It was difficult before we started the game when you have four or five of your players suffering from the flu. Orville Brown was badly hit and we waited late until after the warm-up to put him in but he didn’t last and that derailed us,” Jeremiah said.

In one other game played yesterday, Central High and Christiana High played to a 1-1 draw.

Today’s games

Clarendon College vs Frome at Glenmuir

Rusea’s vs York Castle at Collin Miller Sports Complex

Manning’s vs STETHS at Llandilo Sports Complex

Edwin Allen vs Glenmuir at Foga Road

All games kick off at 3 p.m.