Jovoney Brown anchors wobbly STETHS to victory
St Elizabeth Technical’s (STETHS) defender Carlton Woodbine is carried off on a stretcher during the ISSA-FLOW daCosta Cup inter-zone match at STETHS, Santa Cruz, yesterday. Woodbine was taken to hospital after he was hit and left unconscious from the impact of a tackle in his team’s 2-1 victory over Lennon High. WESTERN BUREAU: A HEAVY downpour coupled with unrelenting flashes of lightning sent match officials, players and spectators scurrying for cover, temporarily curtailing action in the ISSA-FLOW daCosta Cup second-round game between St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS) and Lennon High in Santa Cruz yesterday.
When the match resumed, STETHS held their nerve to register a comefrom-behind 2-1 victory.
Several other games were abandoned because of the torrential rain, including the Glenmuir versus Vere Technical encounter at the Juici Beef Complex. The Zone 8 match, featuring Kemps Hill and Garvey Maceo, was also called off.
Lennon High pushed St Elizabeth Technical all the way, but in the end, a two-goal burst from Jovoney Brown lifted the home team to victory. The defending champions waltzed into the top spot in Zone Three with maximum six points from as many games.
It was sweet victory for STETHS, but they had to do it without their classy centre back Clifton Woodbine, who suffered a head injury and momentarily lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. The extent of his injury was still unknown up to press time.
BREATHING ISSUES
Sanjay Smith of Lennon also went down with what appeared to be breathing issues and was also rushed to hospital as the Lennon coaching staff led by Merron Gordon, tried to marshall his players.
But in a match that was really a must-win, the STETHS pedigree was put to the test in no uncertain terms by Lennon, with their midfielder Kwesi Watts pulling the strings.
His crafty play was a revelation for spectators who were seeing him for the first time, and he left his mark with some superb passes through to his forwards darting through the STETHS defence line.
In one brilliant move, Watts went around the STETHS goalkeeper and his superbly floated pass was met at the far post by Odane Grant, whose header found the back of the net for the lead in the 21st minute.
Stung by the goal, STETHS made one major change at half-time, bringing on Brown for Denroy Miller, who had his first start for the season.
The substitution immediately changed the complexion of the match, as Brown’s movement off the ball made the work easier in attack for his teammates.
He would repay his coach with a clinical finish in the 61st minute to equalise and again scored in the 78th minute to bring his tally for the season to 13 goals.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
STETHS 2 Lennon 1 Cornwall College 6 Petersfield 0 Spot Valley 1 Godfrey Stewart 0 Port Antonio 5 Brimmer Vale 0 Dinthill 2 Steer Town 1 Manchester 1 Lacovia 0 Mile Gully 1 Holmwood 1 Alston 2 St Mary Tech 0 Spalding 1 Clarendon College 1 Ocho Rios 1 Fair Prospect 0