Adrian Frater, News EditorWESTERN BUREAU:
FORMER CHAMPIONS Cornwall College and arch-rivals Godfrey Stewart High School lost important ground in their quarter-final round quests yesterday when they battled to a 1-1 draw in their second-round Group One inter-zone fixture at Jarrett Park, Montego Bay.
Cornwall College took the lead in the 60th minute through prolific striker Richard Edmondson and looked like hanging on for a win. However, skipper Dwayne Williams, pulled Godfrey Stewart level in the 88th minute.
Both teams are now locked on four points each going into Wednesday's final round of games.
"It was a hard, competitive game but I still think we should have won," said Cornwall College's coach Dr. Dean Weatherley. "We now face a must-win situation in our next game to ensure that we make it through to the next stage of the competition."
PLAYED TACTICALLY
Godfrey Stewart's coach, Carl Palmer, whose team remains unbeaten in the daCosta Cup, said he thought the side played a tactically-disciplined game and believed that with better finishing it would have taken full points to avenge its Ben Francis KO semi-final loss to the Montego Bay team.
"I can't complain, the players played pretty much to instructions," said Palmer. "It was a tough game but had we taken our chances, we surely would have won."
Godfrey Stewart got the first good chance of the game in the sixth minute when lanky Josimar Crooks got deep inside Cornwall College's goal area but with the goalkeeper at his mercy, he drove his shot wide of the mark.
Cornwall College bounced back three minutes later and they too missed a good chance when Edward Campbell sent Oshani Morris clear and he fired wide of the goal.
With time ticking away in the half, Godfrey Stewart got two fabulous back-to-back chances in the 41st minute. Firstly, Dwayne Forrester had his shot from point-blank range brilliantly blocked by goalkeeper Tedroy Watson. The rebound, which fell at the feet of Crooks, was scooped over the crossbar.
WRESTED CONTROL
In the second half, Cornwall gradually began to wrestle control of the game, putting pressure on their opponent's defence with their sweeping passes forward from midfield.
They were rewarded in the 60th minute when Edmondson rose high to nod home a swirling corner from Morris, making the score 1-0.
Cornwall College should have doubled their lead in the 61st minute when Edmondson got another clear chance. He found himself behind the Godfrey Stewart defence with a clear path to goal but he fumbled badly and lost possession to the goalkeeper.
With time running out and Godfrey Stewart all out in attack, they grabbed the equaliser with just two minutes to go. Williams pounced on a cross floating in from the right flank and struck a powerful drive which flew wide of diving goalkeeper Watson, making the final score 1-1.
In two other games in western Jamaica, Frome Technical clipped Ocho Rios 1-0 while Herbert Morrison and Mannings battled to a 1-1 draw.
