The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: St Hugh's, Lennon for ISSA/Malta girls' final

Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

St Hugh's High celebrating a 4-2 victory over St Elizabeth Technical in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association /Malta Schoolgirls football semi-final at the Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday. - Peta-Gaye Clachar

Junielle Watkins' double, in the 47th and 77th minutes, lifted St Hugh's High to an exciting 4-2 victory over St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association /Malta Schoolgirls football semi-final at the Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.

Shana-Kay Durrant in the 54th minute and Nugene Nugent from a penalty in the 68th minute were the other goalscorers for St Hugh's. Carla Dennis (3rd minute) and Nicola Richardson (48th) scored for STETHS.

St Hugh's will meet Lennon High in Friday's final. In the opening game of yesterday's semi-final double-header Lennon blanked McGrath High 2-0 with both goals coming from Simone Honeyghan in the 18th and 55th minutes.

St Hugh's started off poorly in the feature match and STETHS, playing in the semi-finals for the first time, dominated the first half.

The Santa Cruz-based school took the lead in the third minute when Dennis found the back of the net. St Hugh's equalised through Watkins shortly after the break, but Richardson put STETHS ahead for the second time in the 48th minute. Durrant levelled the scores at 2-2 in the 54th minute as St Hugh's took charge to emerge easy winners.

An elated Warren Atkinson, coach of St Hugh's, stated that his team held possession of the ball in the second half, and as a result was successful in coming back from a 1-0 lead from STETHS in the first half.

GOOD MOVEMENT

"Our on and off the ball movement was good. We continued to maintain composure, stuck to our game plan and were successful," Atkinson said.

Meanwhile, Kurt Brooks coach of STETHS, although expressing disappointment with his team's loss, was happy that the team had made it to the semi-finals of the competition.

"Anxiety got the better of the girls. They lost all confidence after St Hugh's took the lead. This is their first time at this level, so I still have to give them credit for reaching this far," Brooks said.