Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

DESPITE SQUANDERING a spate of easy chances, former champions Rusea's High School started their 2007 ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel daCosta Cup campaign in fine style yesterday, blanking Green Island 3-0 in their Zone B fixture in Lucea.

Horace Maxwell, Roydell Moncrieffe and Damain Thompson (penalty) got the goals for the Rusea's team, which looked like winning by a much wider margin when they took a first-half 2-0 lead.

"I guess we were suffering from first game jitters today as the boys did not play as well as they could," said Rusea's assistant coach, Anthony 'Follies' Williams. "Nonetheless, they achieved our main objective, which was to take maximum points from the game."

In Zone A, there were mixed results for two former champions as Cornwall College clipped Irwin 1-0 but Herbert Morrison went down 1-0 to St. James. In the other game in the group, Anchovy blanked William Knibb 3-0.

In Zone C, former champions Godfrey Stewart, who had two players ejected, battled to a 2-2 draw with Grange Hill while Manning's scored a comfortable 2-0 win over Little London.

Dominated the game

In the Rusea's game in Lucea, the home team dominated the opening minutes and predictably took the lead in the second minute when Maxwell pounced on a bouncing ball about 25 yards from goal and volleyed past the goalkeeper.

Rusea's struck again in the 22nd minute when, after having his close-range effort parried wide by the goalkeeper, Moncrieffe knocked in the resulting corner to make the half-time score 2-0.

Rusea's sealed the issue in the 56th minute after being awarded a penalty following a terrible tackle on Maxwell. Thompson made no mistake from the spot, making the final score 3-0.

When the competition continues this afternoon with seven games across zones E, H and L (B), the games involving former champions Munro College, Denbigh High and Seaforth should be closely watched as all three schools will be aiming to make it two wins from two starts.

In their first-round match-ups, the Hopeton Gilchrist-coached Munro clipped Lacovia 1-0, Denbigh tagged Kellits 2-0 while Seaforth ran past Morant Bay 3-1.

TODAY'S GAMES

Zone E

Newell vs Munro

Maggotty vs Black River.

Zone H

Vere vs Thompson Town

Claude McKay vs Denbigh

Kellits vs Lennon.

Zone L (B)

St. Thomas Tech vs Seaforth

Morant Bay vs Paul Bogle.

Yesterday's results

Zone A

Cornwall College 1 Irwin 0, Anchovy 3 William Knibb 0, St. James 1 Herbert Morrison 0.

Zone B

Rusea's 3 Green Island 0.

Zone C

Grange Hill 2 Godfrey Stewart 2, Manning's 2 Little London 0.

Zone D

Cedric Titus 3 York Castle 0, Ocho Rios 3 Brown's Town 2, Marcus Garvey 0 Aabuthnott Gallimore 0.

Zone J

Dinthill 3 Bog Walk 0, Glengoffe 1 McGrath 0.