Adrian Frater, News Editor

Members of the St James High team celebrate their goal against Cornwall College at Jarrett Park yesterday. St James won 1-0. - Adrian Frater photo

WESTERN BUREAU

HIGH-FLYING St James High School were all the rage yesterday as they clipped Zone A arch-rivals Cornwall College 1-0 in their much-anticipated ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup second-round fixture at Jarrett Park. In a game it dominated for the most part, but squandered numerous missed chances, the St James team, which has now opened up a commanding six-point lead atop the group standings, got the all-important goal from the boot of Jon Barrett 18 minutes into the second half. "We really wanted this one badly," said St James High's coach Pastor Hugh Solomon, whose team now has 17 points. "We knew victory here would give us a commanding lead in the group and pull us closer to a place in the inter-zone round."

Coaching staff

The game started about half an hour late, as referee Ali McKenzie and the coaching staff of the two teams argued over whether or not seven Cornwall College players suffering from conjunctivitis should be allowed to play. In the end, the players were allowed to play.

The decisive goal came in the 63rd minute when a melee developed before the Cornwall College goal and the alert Barrett calmly side-footed out of the reach of the bewildered goalkeeper.

Good form

In other top games yesterday, champions Garvey Maceo rallied back from their 2-0 loss to Glenmuir on Saturday, to record a big 8-0 win against Tacius Golding. Zone leaders Glenmuir were also in spanking good form, blanking Kemps Hill 5-0, while Old Harbour defeated Central 2-1. Glenmuir lead the group with 13 points, followed by Old Harbour, 11 and, Garvey Maceo on nine.

More schools will be moving into the return phase of the preliminary round of the daCosta Cup this afternoon as 15 games will be played.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS:

Zone A: St James 1 Cornwall College 0, Maldon 5 Herbert Morrison 0, Green Pond 4 Irwin 0.

Zone C: Mannings 2 Maud McLeod 1, Godfrey Stewart 1 Grange Hill 0.

Zone G: Edwin Allen 2 Holmwood 0, Knox 3 Mile Gully 2, Christiana 1 Spalding 1.

Zone I: Old Harbour 2 Central 1, Garvey Maceo 8 Tacius 0, Glenmuir 5 Kemps Hill 0.

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

Zone K: Tacky 3 Brimmervale 0, St Mary High 1 Annotto Bay 0, St Mary Tech 3 Oracabessa 0.

TODAY'S GAMES

(Home teams named first)

Zone B: Frome vs Anchovy, Merlene Ottey vs Hopewell, Green Island vs Knockalva.Zone D: Marcus Garvey vs Cedric Titus at Drax Hall, Brown's Town vs York Castle at Addison Park.

Zone E: Munro vs Balaclava, Maggotty vs STETHS, Lacovia vs Black River.

Zone H: Vere vs Claude McKay, Denbigh vs Thompson.

Zone L: (a): Titchfield vs Fair Prospect, Happy Grove vs Port Antonio.

Zone L: (b): Morant Bay vs R. Light-bourne, St Thomas Tech vs Seaforth at Eastern Banana, Paul Bogle vs Yallahs.