WESTERN BUREAU -
CORNWALL College captured the rural area schoolboy football double after coming from behind twice yesterday to beat Frome Technical 3-2 in the final of the Pepsi/Sports Plus Ben Francis Knockout at the Frome Sports Grounds in Westmoreland.
Orlando Coleman continued his torrid scoring streak, coming off the bench to score twice - including the winner in the 99th minute, to hand the Montego Bay team a record fifth hold on the title.
Captain Garrick Gordon had scored Cornwall's first goal while Marlon McDonald, from the penalty spot, and Delvan Brown struck for Frome.
It was the second hold on the title for Cornwall's coach Dr. Dean Weatherly who was at the helm when they won it last in 1995 to add to titles won in 1983, '84 and 1991.
Weatherly said the win was just reward for the hard work and commitment the players had put into the season and said they were hoping to end the season in fine style, winning the Olivier Shield on Saturday.
Some suspect officiating by referee Patrick Nam marred the game which was competitive from the start. The most obvious of the referee's mistakes was the inadvertent expulsion of Cornwall's Garnet Chisholm in the second half only to call him back before the player had left the field.
Nam had cautioned the player for dissent and followed with a red card thinking it was his second bookable offense.
Frome showed flashes of brilliance but were again let down by inconsistency, especially by national Under-20 player Fabian Blake who was all but absent in the second half.
It was the Westmoreland team which had the better of play at the start of the game and should have scored on at least two occasions before the Cornwall team had time to settle down.
Blake strode majestically through the middle of the field in the fifth minute after playing a good one-two with Brown but his shot was well saved by Cornwall goalkeeper Richard McCallum. Brown got an equally good chance in the 12th minute when he stole the ball from a slow defender but chipped high.
The Westmoreland team eventually took the lead in the 21st minute when referee Nam awarded a penalty, ruling defender Richard Samuels had handled the ball in the area.
Cornwall pulled level almost on the stroke of half time when Gordon scored a brilliant goal. Using his speed to get around the Frome defence, the Cornwall captain saw goalkeeper Andre Christie advancing off his line and looped a powerful shot past the national Under-17 reserve.
Frome retook the lead eight minutes into the second half when Brown outfoxed the Cornwall defence, beating the offside trap and gave McCallum no chance with a fierce left footer that lodged into the far corner of the goal.
Coleman, who scored in the daCosta Cup final win over Munro and in the first leg of the Olivier Shield on Saturday and who had come on to replace Sean Bucknor, brought Cornwall back level with some help from Christie.
DeShaun Woolery had beaten the Frome defender Soyen Green with some ease down the left flank in the 59th minute and crossed into the penalty area. Coleman managed to get a head to the ball but steered it straight to Christie and got a hand to it but only managed to fumble it across the goal line.
Cornwall should have won the game in the last minute of regular time when Woolery dribbled down the left wing through a maze of defenders but his powerful curling shot hit the upright and out of play with goalkeeper Christie well beaten.
Coleman finally sealed the deal nine minutes into extra time when he was left unmarked in the middle of the goal area and slammed home a cross from the right wing from Dane Richards past a helpless Christie.
By Paul A. Reid
Staff Reporter
