Garvey Maceo clinch third daCosta Cup title

Garvey Maceo High School won their third ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup on Saturday, defeating McGrath High School 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw at full time.

The Clarendon team came from behind to equalize through Omarian O’Brian in the dying moments of added time, denying McGrath High’s bid for their first title.

McGrath High, from Linstead, St Catherine, appeared set for victory after Devone Davis' 15th-minute goal. However, O’Brian’s last-minute strike in the 90+7 minute sent the match to penalties.

Garvey Maceo had previously won the title in 2007 and during the 2021 season, which was delayed and extended into January 2022 due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Acting head coach Lester Hibbert, who stepped in for Merron Gordon this season, expressed immense pride after the win. “We never gave up, even when the odds were stacked against us, because a true believer is a real believer. We did it. Being past students of the institution is what drove us and gave us the passion to keep going. Even when it seemed as if time was going to run out on us, we fought, and this one is for those who never stopped believing in us,” Hibbert said.

Both teams started the game with attacking intent, with McGrath drawing first blood when Davis dispossessed defender Malik Robinson and fired a powerful left-footer past Garvey Maceo goalkeeper Garfield Tomlinson for his 12th goal of the season.

Garvey Maceo pushed for an equaliser but failed to capitalize on their chances, while McGrath also missed key opportunities, leading 1-0 at halftime.

The second half saw few clear chances, but McGrath's Dontae Anderson nearly doubled their lead in the 53rd minute. However, Devany McIntosh cleared his header off the line after a spilled corner from Tomlinson. McGrath’s Jim Mitchell also missed a chance to seal the game in the 77th minute when he fired into the side netting.

With time running out, Garvey Maceo mounted a desperate attack, and in the final moments of added time, O’Brian struck a low right-footed shot from outside the box past Orlando Griffiths to spark wild celebrations.

In the penalty shootout, Garvey Maceo kept their composure, with Devany McIntosh, Tyreek McKenley, Delano Thompson, Malik Robinson, and Rajay McLaughlin all converting their attempts.

For McGrath, only Mitchell, David Hutchinson, and Marcelo Gordon were successful, while Isaac Mason’s attempt was saved by Tomlinson.

McGrath head coach Jermaine Thomas, who led the team to last year’s Ben Francis Cup victory, was gracious in defeat. "Once Devone was out, it was always going to be difficult for us. Still, they fought valiantly. We showed Jamaica that McGrath is a force to be reckoned with, but a lapse in concentration cost us in added time. I’m extremely proud of them," he said.

In the opening match of the day, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) triumphed 3-1 over dethroned daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College to claim a record-tying seventh Ben Francis Cup title.

Goals from Trinidad and Tobago's Kaieem Lewis (27th minute), Henry Johnson (45+2 minute), and substitute Jordan Blake (90+3 minute) ended a nine-year title drought for the Santa Cruz-based school. Their last triumph came in 2015, when they achieved a memorable double by winning both the daCosta Cup and the Ben Francis Cup.

This latest success adds to their storied history in the competition, having won six consecutive Ben Francis Cups from 2010 to 2015.

Justin Hayles scored for Clarendon College in the 69th minute.

Videos courtesy of SportsMax TV. Photos by Marlon Reid.