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G'Maceo claim KO crown
Clarendon school wins first major football titlePAUL A REID, Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Garvey Maceo captain and goal-scorer Ashton Bennett (left) accepts the rural area ISSA KO trophy from Ben Francis after beating Rusea's 2-0 in the final at Jarrett Park yesterday. (Photo: Paul Reid)
MONTEGO BAY, St James - Garvey Maceo won their first major schoolboy football title yesterday after beating Rusea's High 2-0 in the finals of the ISSA Ben Francis Knock out at Jarrett Park.
Inspirational captain Ashton Bennett in the first half and Richard Allen in the second scored the goals for the Jeffrey Hewitt-coached team as dozens of supporters who travelled from Clarendon to support their team, invaded the field after the final whistle.
Despite a hectic last 48 hours after beating Dinthill in the semi-final on Monday, then travelling to Montego Bay on Tuesday before to play yesterday, Garvey Maceo proved they will be the team to beat when the daCosta Cup resumes on Saturday by turning in a workman-like performance.
After being put under pressure in the first 20 minutes, an opportunistic goal from Bennett turned the tide in favour of Garvey Maceo.
Rusea's have only themselves to blame as despite having the vast majority of the packed Jarrett Park cheering them on and creating numerous chances, they failed to score.
Anthony 'Follies' Williams, a member of the Rusea's coaching staff, described the failure, the goal drought as "a disease that has been plaguing the team all season and even though we have scored close to 40-odd goals we've not been able to put away most of the chances that we've created in any given game".
Rusea's Garfield Duncan (left) holds off Garvey Maceo's Mikhail Howell during yesterday's ISSA Ben Francis Knock-Out final at Jarrett Park. Garvey Maceo won 2-0 for their first major schoolboy title. (Photo: Paul Reid)
A disappointed Williams said he was not taking anything away from Garvey Maceo as "they stuck to the task and got the win." He also said his team "gave a spirited performance; I can't knock the boys... their only mistake was not scoring the goals".
Hewitt had high praise for Bennett, whom he described as a "great team leader and led from the front", saying that he "took it upon himself to get the ball in the back of the net and from there on the team reacted well and started to play well".
Rusea's settled first and forced Garvey Maceo back with a series of attacks led by Roydell Moncrieff and Andre Atkinson.
Garfield Duncan got the first chance of the game in the 11th minute when he received a pass form a short corner and beat two defenders to get into the 18 yards box, but his low shot was deflected for another corner.
Moncrieff had another chance five minutes later, but his shot from just outside the area was knocked down by goalkeeper Andre Lindsay.
Godfrey Cunningham should have done better in the 17th minute when he got a free run through the middle of the Garvey Maceo defence, but kicked softly to Lindsay.
After managing to keep the Rusea's attackers at bay, Garvey Maceo hit back with a goal in the 21st minute when Bennett's shot was partially knocked down by Rusea's goalkeeper Mario Distin, but flew into the goal.
Adrian Jones could have drawn Rusea's level in the 24th minute when after overlapping from the midfield deep into the six-yard box, he had Lindsay at his mercy but missed the shot completely.
Rusea's missed another chance a minute before the end of the first half when a rebound fell at Atkinson's feet just inside the box, but he lifted it over the bar.
Rusea's were forced back into their own half for the early part of the second half, but after managing to soak up the pressure, came into their own and gained the upperhand, especially after Horace Maxwell replaced Moncrieff.
Ricano Brown, who started ahead of Maxwell, had a chance to draw Rusea's level in the 83rd when he made a run into the Garvey Maceo area and with only Lindsay to beat, shot wide.
With Rusea's throwing everything into attack, it left their defence exposed and Garvey Maceo exploited it with a lightning counter-attack in the 88th minute, ending with Allen firing in a low, hard shot from the right side, beating Distin at the near post.
Clarendon school wins first major football titlePAUL A REID, Observer writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Garvey Maceo captain and goal-scorer Ashton Bennett (left) accepts the rural area ISSA KO trophy from Ben Francis after beating Rusea's 2-0 in the final at Jarrett Park yesterday. (Photo: Paul Reid) MONTEGO BAY, St James - Garvey Maceo won their first major schoolboy football title yesterday after beating Rusea's High 2-0 in the finals of the ISSA Ben Francis Knock out at Jarrett Park.
Inspirational captain Ashton Bennett in the first half and Richard Allen in the second scored the goals for the Jeffrey Hewitt-coached team as dozens of supporters who travelled from Clarendon to support their team, invaded the field after the final whistle.
Despite a hectic last 48 hours after beating Dinthill in the semi-final on Monday, then travelling to Montego Bay on Tuesday before to play yesterday, Garvey Maceo proved they will be the team to beat when the daCosta Cup resumes on Saturday by turning in a workman-like performance.
After being put under pressure in the first 20 minutes, an opportunistic goal from Bennett turned the tide in favour of Garvey Maceo.
Rusea's have only themselves to blame as despite having the vast majority of the packed Jarrett Park cheering them on and creating numerous chances, they failed to score.
Anthony 'Follies' Williams, a member of the Rusea's coaching staff, described the failure, the goal drought as "a disease that has been plaguing the team all season and even though we have scored close to 40-odd goals we've not been able to put away most of the chances that we've created in any given game".
Rusea's Garfield Duncan (left) holds off Garvey Maceo's Mikhail Howell during yesterday's ISSA Ben Francis Knock-Out final at Jarrett Park. Garvey Maceo won 2-0 for their first major schoolboy title. (Photo: Paul Reid)A disappointed Williams said he was not taking anything away from Garvey Maceo as "they stuck to the task and got the win." He also said his team "gave a spirited performance; I can't knock the boys... their only mistake was not scoring the goals".
Hewitt had high praise for Bennett, whom he described as a "great team leader and led from the front", saying that he "took it upon himself to get the ball in the back of the net and from there on the team reacted well and started to play well".
Rusea's settled first and forced Garvey Maceo back with a series of attacks led by Roydell Moncrieff and Andre Atkinson.
Garfield Duncan got the first chance of the game in the 11th minute when he received a pass form a short corner and beat two defenders to get into the 18 yards box, but his low shot was deflected for another corner.
Moncrieff had another chance five minutes later, but his shot from just outside the area was knocked down by goalkeeper Andre Lindsay.
Godfrey Cunningham should have done better in the 17th minute when he got a free run through the middle of the Garvey Maceo defence, but kicked softly to Lindsay.
After managing to keep the Rusea's attackers at bay, Garvey Maceo hit back with a goal in the 21st minute when Bennett's shot was partially knocked down by Rusea's goalkeeper Mario Distin, but flew into the goal.
Adrian Jones could have drawn Rusea's level in the 24th minute when after overlapping from the midfield deep into the six-yard box, he had Lindsay at his mercy but missed the shot completely.
Rusea's missed another chance a minute before the end of the first half when a rebound fell at Atkinson's feet just inside the box, but he lifted it over the bar.
Rusea's were forced back into their own half for the early part of the second half, but after managing to soak up the pressure, came into their own and gained the upperhand, especially after Horace Maxwell replaced Moncrieff.
Ricano Brown, who started ahead of Maxwell, had a chance to draw Rusea's level in the 83rd when he made a run into the Garvey Maceo area and with only Lindsay to beat, shot wide.
With Rusea's throwing everything into attack, it left their defence exposed and Garvey Maceo exploited it with a lightning counter-attack in the 88th minute, ending with Allen firing in a low, hard shot from the right side, beating Distin at the near post.
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