Richard Bryan, Freelance WriterMANDEVILLE, Manchester:
DEFENDING DACOSTA Cup champions Glenmuir served an early warning to their rivals this year with a decisive 4-0 win over Kemps Hill to win the inaugural Building Innovation Company's Under-19 competition for schools in Clarendon last week.
Cornel Learmond, with goals in the eighth and 62nd minutes, and a strike each from James Thomas (22nd minute) and Cornelius Henry (54th minute) provided an easy win which left coach Jackie Walters quite satisfied.
Kemps Hill, who finished third last year in their daCosta Cup preliminary group behind Glenmuir and Garvey Maceo, had surprised by reaching the final.
However, aside from one glorious scoring opportunity missed by Raymond Thomas in the second half, and the dribbling trickery of Renar Elliott, they looked out of their class against the champions.
Their first goalkeeper, Dave Randal was a picture of nerves when he allowed Learmond to slip one past him, never bothering to go for the dive thinking the ball would have eased wide of his far post.
DEFENSIVE STRATEGY
Kemps Hill's first-half strategy appeared to be purely defensive, content most time to remain in their half to blunt the Glenmuir attack. This factor perhaps characterised the brilliance of Glenmuir's next two goals.
Thomas effected an acrobatic overhead kick to beat Randal, then following a short passage of play on the resumption when Kemps Hill, mainly through the dribbling forays of Elliott, dominated the exchanges, Henry drove a looping shot home from 20 yards.
The competition was organised by the Clarendon Football Association and fielded 12 teams. Traditional big guns like Clarendon College and Vere Technical were absent but the final played at the grassy Gimme-Mi-Bit playground near Garvey Maceo High School was well supported. For their triumph, Glenmuir won $60,000 plus a further $25,000 in football gear vouchers.
Prior to the Glenmuir/Kemps Hill final, Denbigh grabbed third place after defeating Central High on a second half strike from Germaine Christian.
The tournament also allowed
for a second tier competition following the preliminary exchanges which afforded Garvey Maceo a victory in the consolation final: 3-1 over Bustamante High.
