Adrian Frater, News Editor

Maldon's Carlton Walker (right) knocks the ball between the legs of Herbert Morrison's Alex Stone in yesterday's daCosta Cup game between the schools in Montego Bay. Herbert Morrison won 1-0. - photo by Adrian Frater

WESTERN BUREAU:

PETERSFIELD WERE the toast of yesterday's round of matches in the ISSA/ Pepsi/daCosta Cup as, in a spirited display, they handed defending champions Godfrey Stewart a 2-0 defeat in the Zone C feature game in Savanna-la-Mar.

By virtue of their win, the Petersfield team has joined Grange Hill as joint Zone B leaders with six points. Godfrey Stewart and Manning's, the two fancied teams from the group, trail them by three points.

In another top game in western Jamaica yesterday, Herbert Morrison ended Maldon's two-game winning streak when they handed them a 1-0 defeat in their Zone A fixture at Bogue. By virtue of their win, the Herbert Morrison team surged to the top of the group with seven points - one more than Maldon.

First point

In the second of the two Zone A games in Montego Bay, 11-time champions Cornwall College, who started their campaign with a disastrous 1-0 loss to Maldon on Saturday, garnered their first point of the season with a 0-0 draw against St. James High at Jarrett Park.

In other games in western Jamaica, Manning's recorded their first win of the season when they registered a big 4-1 over Maud McLeod in their Zone C fixture on their home turf in Savanna-la-Mar. In another game, many-time champions Rusea's were also on the winning sheet, clipping Anchovy 1-0 to be the sole leaders in Zone B.

Over in Zone I, last year's beaten finalists Glenmuir made it three wins from three starts when they blanked Kemps Hill in their top-of-the-table clash. In the other two Zone I games, Garvey Maceo notched their second win of the season, turning back Old Harbour 3-0 while Vere and Central battled to a 0-0 draw.

In their game against Maldon, Herbert Morrison had the better of the early action and should have taken the lead in the fourth minute. Gerald Duncans pounced on a lofted cross inside the goal area but his looping header cleared the crossbar.

Midway through the half, Maldon wasted a glorious chance when Kenrick McLeod broke free with the goalkeeper at his mercy but struck his grounder wide of the goal, cutting short the anticipatory celebrations that had started on his team's bench.

With time running out in the half, Herbert Morrison came perilously close to scoring when a spanking 35-yard shot by Akhail Lee seemed destined for the back of the net, however, goalkeeper Eldeen Levy went full stretch to his left to parry the ball over the bar. The half ended 0-0.

It was a ding-dong affair in the second half with Herbert Morrison having the edge through more penetrative attacks. However, both teams were guilty of faulty finishing. One particularly glaring miss came for Herbert Morrison in the 65th minute when Alex Stone got away but was expertly dispossessed by the goalkeeper.

With time ticking away, a Maldon defender was seen handling the ball inside the goal area by the referee, who awarded a penalty to Herbert Morrison. Mikhail Leslie made no mistake from the spot, making the final score 1-0.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Zone A: Herbert Morrison 1 Maldon 0, St. James 0 Cornwall 0.

Zone B: Frome 5 Cambridge 0, Rusea's 1 Anchovy 0.

Zone C: Petersfield 2 Godfrey Stewart 0, Manning's 4 Maud McLeod 1.

Zone E: Black River 7 Maggotty 0, STETHS 5 Lacovia 0, Munro 5 Newell 0.

Zone I: Garvey Maceo 3 Old Harbour 0, Central 0 Vere 0, Glenmuir 3 Kemps Hill 0.

Zone J: McGrath 0 Glengoffe 0, Charlemont 2 Bog Walk 2, Ewarton 4 Dinthill 1.

Zone K: Brimmervale 1 Iona 0, Tacky 2 Oracabessa 0.

Zone L: Port Antonio vs Paul Bogle - no play, Fair Prospect 2 Yallahs 0, Titchfield 2 St. Thomas 0, Seaforth vs Happy Grove - no play.