Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

A NEW champion will be crowned in the ISSA/Pepsi-/Digicel daCosta Cup as defending champions Garvey Maceo were sent packing from the competition yesterday, following a 1-1 draw against Old Harbour, who ended up topping Zone I.

Garvey Maceo started the game in an almost hopeless position as, in addition to having to defeat unbeaten Old Harbour, they also had to hope that Glenmuir would somehow lose to the tame Central High School. In the end, their chances fizzled out as Glenmuir hammered Central 7-0.

The final standings in the group see Old Harbour, who completed their fixture with seven wins and three draws, on 24 points; and Glenmuir in second on 23 points - accumulated through seven wins, two draws and one defeat.

The eliminated Garvey Maceo had six wins, two defeats and two draws.

Energetic game

In Zone E, where St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) started their game against Balaclava with an outside chance of displacing group leaders Lacovia for the group's Ben Francis KO slot, they did all they could by emerging 5-0 winners and move to 29 points.

However, Lacovia, who started the day on 27 points, eased past Black River 1-0 to ensure themselves of group honours.

In a dominant performance in which they had Balaclava at their mercy for most of the game, STETHS were well served by skipper Orlando Melhado, who got a hat-trick, and Miguel Ebanks and Denmark Gillings, who got a goal each.

In competitive Zone C, former champions Godfrey Stewart secured the group's Ben Francis slot when they clipped Mannings 1-0 to move to an unassailable 17 points.

Grange Hill edged out Petersfield for the group's second inter-zone place, clipping them 1-0 to move out of their reach with 14 points.

The much-anticipated Zone D showdown between second-placed Cedric Titus (20) and third-placed Brown's Town, which should have decided which of the team would join early qualifiers Marcus Garvey in the inter-zone round, was not played as no referees showed for the game.

In Zone G, Spalding took the group's Ben Francis place with a 1-0 win against Christiana, which moved them up to an unassailable 21 points.

Zone A: St. James 3 Green Pond 0.

Zone B: Rusea's 3 Hopewell 0.

Zone C: Grange Hill 1 Petersfield 0, Godfrey Stewart 1 Mannings 0.

Zone D: Cedric Titus vs Brown's Town (no referee).

Zone E: STETHS 4 Balaclava 0, Lacovia 1 Maggotty 0.

Zone G: Holmwood 0 Edwin Allen 0, Knox 1 Mile Gully 0, Spaldings 1 Christiana 0.

Zone I: Garvey Maceo 1 Old Harbour 1, Glenmuir 7 Central High 0.

Zone L: Paul Bogle 3 St. Thomas Technical 2 (penalty shoot-out).

Yesterday's RESULTS