BROWN’S TOWN MOVED TO TOP WITH OCHI SECOND IN ZONE K
Ocho Rios, St Ann, Oct. 2, 2024
Ocho Rios High School DaCosta Cup team has lost six points because of a breach of the rules of the Inter-Secondary Sports Association (ISSA)
The loss of the points removes the team’s on-the-field perfect win record, and top-of-the-table placing after they won all their games in the first round.
They lost the points because of a failure to pull a player who had accumulated the maximum number of yellow cards allowed that should have triggered his removal from the playing team.
Brown’s Town High now lead Zone ‘K’ with 13 points from their six matches. They lost one (to Ocho Rios) and drew one. Ocho Rios are in second place with 12 points from four matches won (and none from the two taken from them when they used the ineligible player).
(Zone K points standing before matches Wednesday’, Oct 2)
Next in line are Ferncourt (third) and Marcus Garvey High in fourth. The teams in the zone ‘K’ are now playing return games.
Here is the ISSA release, issued Wednesday, October 2
ISSA/WATA DACOSTA CUP FOOTBALL COMPETITION October 2, 2024
“Please note that Ocho Rios High School has been deducted six (6) points for the use of an ineligible player in matches #205 against Ferncourt High [and] #230 against Marcus Garvey Technical. The player accumulated three (3) yellow cards and hence was ineligible to play in the team’s next match. Based on rule A.15 “If a player receives 3 yellow cards in the preliminary round, he will automatically miss his team next match” (ISSA 2024 Schoolboy Football Handbook). He was ineligible to play in Ocho Rios High’s match on Tuesday, September 24 vs Ferncourt High. He also subsequently played in the match vs Marcus Garvey Technical on Friday, September 27. These matches will be awarded to the opponent by three (3) goals to nil (0). The player is ineligible to play in match #277 against Aabuthnott Gallimore High schedule for Wednesday, October 2, 2024.
(Some of Ochi High’s key players. The team is expecting to wheel and come again in the return games)
The manager of the team Eyan Keane says “We have accepted it as bitter medicine and are willing to pick up the pieces to finish the race on top just the same.” He said the management team and players regretted the over-the-quota yellow card situation. “The biggest task right now is get the boys to rise above this unfortunate situation.”
