Cornwall retain coveted title

Cornwall College retained the Jackson Shield, symbol of football supre-macy between themselves and old rivals Munro College when the two-game clash between the teams ended in a 2-2 deadlock at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay on Saturday.

In the opening game between the daCosta Cup teams, Munro looked much sharper and deservingly emerged with a 1-0 win. In the Over-35 contest, Cornwall dominated but could only manage a 2-1 win.

However, that was enough to give them and 2-2 aggregate score and the prized title.

"After the daCosta Cup team lost we knew that we had to win to retain the title and we did just that," said former national goalkeeper Warren Barrett who had a good game for the Cornwall oldsters.

"It was yet another Jackson Shield which was played in good spirits and we had a lot of fun out there."

Curtain-raiser

In the curtain-raiser, which saw both teams advertising the talent which they will have on show in this year's daCosta Cup, the Hopeton Gilchrist-conditioned Munro looked quite good, and while the Steve Bucknor-coached Cornwall aggregation managed to create a few chances, they looked sluggish at best.

Munro got their all-important goal five minutes into the game when Rajiv Service took a ball just below the half line and, after evading several defenders in a smart dribble, turned neatly in the penalty area and drove a left-footed grounder past the Cornwall custodian, making the score 1-0.

"This result is special because it means that I have not lost to Cornwall College in my three years here at Munro College," said Gilchrist who once served a stint as assistant coach at Cornwall, which is his alma mater.

He added: "This game was quite important in concluding my daCosta Cup preparations."

In the Over-35 game, the star-studded Cornwall quickly took control and, after a mere five minutes of action, they took the lead. Troy Campbell powered his way through the Munro defence and cracked a savage shot into the roof of the net, making the score 1-0.

With the likes of Dr Dean Weatherly and Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Vice-President Dale Spencer seeking to do damage control for Munro, Cornwall struck yet again towards the end of the first half. Orville Mushington won possession of the ball some 30 yards from goal and his fierce shot left the goalkeeper a mere spectator, making the half-time score 2-0.

In the second half, Cornwall showed more inclination towards having fun than hunting goals. However, it was Munro's Dr Weatherley who had the crowd going wild. His deft dribbles, sharp turns and the ease with which he regularly knocked the ball between the legs of opponents drew much laughter.

With time running out in the game, Munro finally managed to breach the Cornwall defence. Peter Lee went high for a cross and his glancing header rolled into the goal, making the final score 2-1.