Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

MALDON HIGH School created arguably the biggest upset of the 2006 ISSA/Pepsi/JN daCosta Cup yesterday afternoon when a Kenrick McLeod first-half strike gave them a shock 1-0 win over 11-time champions Cornwall College in their Zone A fixture in Montego Bay.

"The players played to our pre-game plan and we got the result we felt we could," said Maldon's coach, Loren Sailsman, a former Cornwall College captain. "We have a good crop of players and we believe they are quite capable of giving us good results."

In a game dominated by the Maldon team, Cornwall College got the first clear chance in the fourth minute. Rushane Jagdeen pounced on a loose ball in front of goal, but his powerful shot shaved the crossbar.

After coming perilously close in the 12th minute when Ricardo Reid volleyed wide from close range, Maldon took the lead in the 14th minute. On a break down the middle, McLeod squeezed between a defender and the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the goal, making the score 1-0.

Cornwall battled bravely

Cornwall College battled bravely going into the half-time break but their bid for an equaliser was blunted by the sturdy defending by Maldon, who kept most of the action away from their goalkeeper. The half ended with Maldon enjoying the better of the action.

Maldon again took charge at the beginning of the second half and should have doubled their lead in the 52nd minute. McLeod found himself with the goalkeeper at his mercy, but he slotted wide of the far right-hand corner.

Midway through the half, Cornwall College should have drawn level when skipper Cedric Daley worked his way deep into the Maldon defence, but his shot was brilliantly blocked by an alert Eldeen Levy in goal for Maldon, who left his line smartly and spread himself wide.

In the dying moments of the game, Cornwall College threw everything in attack in a late bid to find the equaliser and save face, but the effort proved futile. "We did not play well today, and it cost us the game," said Cornwall College's coach, Dr. Dean Weatherley. "Maldon deserve a lot of credit because they really gave a good account of themselves," he said.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Grange Hill 1 Manning's 0

Marcus Garvey 3 Arbuttnot Gallimore 2

Ocho Rios 2 Cedric Titus 2-0 STETHS 6 Newell 0

Munro 2 Black River 2-0