Dinthill Technical are back in the finals of the ISSA/Flow DaCosta Cup Football Competition after Rodave Murray scored twice, including once in extra time, to take them to a 2-1 come from behind win over Manchester High in the semi-finals played at Juici Field on Friday.
Manchester High had taken an early lead through Jarvis Mattis but they failed to hold on to the advantage and their season ended after they had lost to St. Elizabeth Technical in the finals of the Ben Francis Knockout a week earlier.
Dinthill Technical who won the DaCosta Cup twice, in 1979 and 1981, will meet the winner of Saturday’s other semi-final between St Elizabeth Technical and Lennon High in the final, set for the Montego Bay Sports Complex next weekend.
It came very close to disaster for Dinthill Technical who went one step further than last season, when they lost at the semi-final stage, after Murray missed a 7th minute penalty. The striker had also cost Dinthill a place in the Ben Francis KO finals after his missed in the penalty shootout, forced sudden death where STETHS prevailed.
He however atoned in a big way with his double that crushed the hopes of the Manchester High team once again. Minutes after Dinthill hit the cross bar, Mattis gave Manchester High the lead in the 29th minute and Romaine Walsh just failed to double the lead when he missed from point blank.
Murray drew Dinthill Technical level just before half time as the teams went into the break locked at 1-1. He had a wonderful chance mid-way the second half but Manchester High’s goalkeeper, Nicholas King, was equal to it with a brilliant save.
With time running out in extra time and penalties looming however, Murray was well placed to get the winner and sent his team back to the finals first time in 34 years.
