STETHS advance to daCosta Cup quarter-finals

by

October 25, 2023

Photo

Irwin High’s Detroy Reid (left) and Henry Johnson of St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) chase the ball in their ISSA/daCosta Cup final leg round-of-16 match at the STETHS Sports Complex in Elizabeth yesterday. STETHS won 2-0.

FORMER champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) advanced to the quarter-finals of the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup with a 2-0 win over Irwin High School in the return leg of the second round of the competition at St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) yesterday.

STETHS won the tie 3-0 on aggregate after their 1-0 victory in the first leg.

D'Andre Hibbert opened the scoring in the 27th minute for the winners and in the 55th minute Dantay Hewitt scored the second goal.

Irwin had STETHS working hard to defend their 1-0 advantage from the first leg but the hosts weathered the storm before taking the lead.

Nicardo Smith of STETHS intercepted a clearance by Irwin's goalkeeper Jkwon Kenton and passed to Hibbert who found the back of the net from inside the 18-yard box.

The goal seemed to have ignited STETHS and they took control of the match and sealed the tie 10 minutes into the second half when Hewitt ran past his markers and shocked the Irwin faithful with a rocket in the top-left corner.

Omar 'Rambo' Wedderburn, the coach of STETHS, said he was delighted to advance to the quarter-finals.

"As always, we just want to win games. Different opponents, different strategy, probably different systems and different game plans. You know you have to set your plans based on the team you are going up against. I think it is shaping up and we will do what we have to do to move forward," Wedderburn said.

He added: "Today, we came with a game plan to get a goal in the first half to push Irwin team further behind and I think we did that well."

For Norman Foster, coach of Irwin, it was another disappointing season.

"It is the second season that we have failed to advance to the quarter-finals but it is a rebuilding process for us. We look forward to next year and we will try to do better. I just think the team didn't step up to the plate. I think we started well but we didnt capitalise on our chances. When you are playing away from home you need to put away your chances. If you don't, you will pay dearly for it," Foster said.

STETHS will play either Cornwall College or Black River in the quarterfinals.