1 week ago
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FOR THE third season in a row, Excelsior High and Holmwood Technical will contest the final of the ISSA TIP Friendly Society Schoolgirl Football competition, after contrasting wins in their semi-final fixtures yesterday.
Eight-time defending champions Excelsior dispatched Garvey Maceo 5-0 in dominant fashion at Stadium East while Holmwood needed penalties to edge Merl Grove 5-3 at Brooks Park after a scoreless draw in regulation time.
An own goal from Trishelle Cassandra (14th minute), along with strikes from Shauntai Pryce (24th), Jada-Lee Bryan (33rd), Makala Williams (40th+1) and Orania Campbell (55th), led the goalscoring efforts for Excelsior.
Theodore Leon, assistant coach of Excelsior, praised his players for the win and for handling the expectations of advancing to yet another final.
“It is very important for us to win today because we have a lot of pressure on us to deliver the title,” he said after the match.
“It is good to make it to another final, and we look to take it home. I couldn’t be prouder of the girls, because they showed up and executed what we wanted from them.”
The Mountain View Avenue-based school wasted little time, immediately going in search of the opening goal.
Their early pressure would pay off as, in the 14th minute, a scramble in the box led to Cassandra putting the ball into her own net, despite the best efforts of goalkeeper Yasheika Mills.
Excelsior would double their lead 10 minutes later when Pryce picked up the ball just outside the box.
Left with acres of space, the winger let loose a rocket that had Mills beaten for pace.
Bryan would add their third when she ran through on goal, making no mistake from close range to finish past the goalkeeper.
Williams popped up to add the game’s fourth right before the half-time whistle as her shot on goal slipped through the Mills’ gloves.
Second-half substitute and crowd favourite Campbell added the final nail in the coffin when she completed a stunning strike, catching the goalkeeper unawares with the effort from left flank.
Lester Hibbert, head coach of Garvey Maceo, felt the strong winds hampered his team’s tactics in the first half.
“When we were going against the breeze, it was really difficult for the girls, because the ball kept coming back at us, and I think that played in their advantage and saw us conceding four goals in the first half,” Hibbert explained.
Excelsior will face off against Holmwood next week Wednesday for the final, after Merl Grove take on Garvey Maceo in the third-placed play-off.
YESTERDAY’S RESULTS
Holmwood 0-0 Merl Grove (5-3 pen)
Excelsior 5-0 Garvey Maceo
English (US) ·