Garvey, Manchester KO rivals in Ben Francis shoot-outs

By Richard Bryan, Freelance Writer

Garvey Maceo and Manchester High yesterday pulled off dramatic penalty kick victories to book quarter-final places in the Ben Francis KO competition contested by the preliminary daCosta Cup zone winners.

Garvey Maceo, which created some stir earlier by defeating defending champions Glenmuir in a preliminary daCosta Cup match, had to come from behind to equalise 1-1 in regulation and extra time battle at Manchester High, before getting the better of Spaldings 4-3 in the dreaded penalty shoot-out via a last gasp save from Andre Lindsay, better known as the wicketkeeper for the National Under-19 team.

Manchester High's win was more dramatic as they were forced to equalise in the 90th minute against Munro at the St. Elizabeth Technical High School ground in Santa Cruz, before Baaron Watson spared his father, the coach, and the entire Manchester fraternity blushes, after scoring his sudden-death penalty for an enthralling 6-5 win.

Chris Wallace had opened the scoring for Munro in the first half before Shane Cousins gave Manchester High a lifeline in their first ever appearance in a Ben Francis championship.

At Mancehster High playing field in Mandeville, many of the fans had turned up to see Garvey Maceo, one of the teams touted to go all the way in this year's daCosta Cup.

However, it was Spaldings which drew first blood when Anthony Reid scored in the 43rd minute. It took the expertise of Aston Bennett, the leading goalscorer in the daCosta Cup last season, to equalise for Garvey Maceo in the 60th minute. Bennett later scored the first of his team's successful penalty kicks, but it was a sad omen for Reid who missed his team's final spot kick.