Adrian Frater, News Editor
WESTERN BUREAU:
ZONE C contenders Godfrey Stewart High School and former champions and runaway Zone E leaders St. Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) qualified for the inter-zone round of the ISSA/Pepsi/Jamaica National daCosta Cup on Saturday when they came up with positive results.
The high-riding Godfrey Stewart, which blanked Petersfield 3-0, moved to an unassailable 19 points, which assures them of both their inter-zone place as well as group honours.
STETHS' one point from their 2-2 draw from their top-of-the-table clash with Munro College assured them of both winning the zone and an inter-zone slot with 19 points.
In the big feature, the Zone A top-of-the-table clash at Jarrett Park, Cornwall College behind goals from the diminutive Edward Campbell and Nakia Atkinson scored a 2-0 win over William Knibb, to put themselves within a point of advancing to the next round while putting a dent on the hopes of the Trelawny team in the process.
"This is the result we came here looking for today. Our aim is to win the zone and we are clearly on track to do so," said Cornwall College's coach Dr. Dean Weatherley, whose team is now on 28 points, six clear of William Knibb, Herbert Morrison and Anchovy, all locked in second place on 22 points.
The William Knibb team, which came into the competition as one of the those highly favoured to advance from Zone A, remains confident that they will be able to get by the tough Anchovy and the tame Irwin High in their two remaining games, which should be good enough to carry them forward.
"We still have a chance of advancing although our hopes of topping the zone is now gone," said Cassman Williams, the coach of the William Knibb team. "We just have to win our remaining games and hope that Herbert Morrison stumble along the way."
In the other crucial Zone A games, Herbert Morrison and Anchovy took maximum points to keep their campaign on track. The former, behind hat-tricks from Omar Blake and Jermaine Solomon, spanked Muschett 8-0, while the latter blanked Irwin High 6-0.
Elsewhere, defending champions Glenmuir, who along with Garvey Maceo and Denbigh High were the early qualifiers, continued their impressive 100% win record in Zone I, blanking Central 6-0 to lift their goalscoring tally to 57 unanswered goals from eight games.
In Zone D, where there is a major battle for zone honours, Ocho Rios took advantage of the inactivity of Brown's Town (18) and Cedric Titus (14) to strengthen their chances with a big 6-0 win over Aubuthnott Gallimore, to lift them to 18 points and joint leadership of the zone.
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Zone A
St. James vs Maldon 1-1
Zone B
Frome vs Rusea's 3-0
Cambridge vs Merlene Ottey 2-1
Grange Hill vs Knockalva 2-0
Zone C
Mannings vs Black River 2-0
Zone D
Marcus Garvey vs York Castle 1-1
Zone E
Balaclava vs Newell 1-1
Zone F
Decarteret vs Belair 3-0
Zone G
Porus vs Knox 2-2
Spalding vs Christiana 5-0
Zone H
Kellits vs Thompson Town 0-0
Lennon vs Edwin Allen 1-0
Zone J
Dinthill vs Charlemont 4-2
McGrath vs Ewarton 0-0
Group K
Annotto Bay vs St. Mary 2-1
St. Mary Tech vs Iona 6-0
Islington vs Tacky 1-1
Group L (b)
Seaforth vs Robert Lightbourne 5-0
St. Thomas Tech vs Yallahs 2-1.
TODAY'S SCHEDULE
Zone D
Ocho Rios vs Marcus Garvey
York Castle vs Ferncourt
Cedric Titus vs Brown's Town
Zone H
Denbigh vs Clarendon College
Zone J
Bog Walk vs Ewarton
Dinthill vs Glengoffe
McGrath vs Old Harbour
Zone K
Iona vs Islington
St. Mary High vs St. Mary Tech
Brimmervale vs Annotto Bay
