Fletcher fires Cornwall College into Super Cup final with superb hat-trick

Photo: “Four fingers up” – Jourdaine Fletcher shows four fingers to the fans after he netted his team’s 4th goal and his third in the ISSA/FLOW Super Cup semi final match against Clarendon College on Saturday at Sabina Park. Cornwall College beat Clarendon College 4-2 to advance to the final against Wolmers Boys next Satuday 

A sublime hat-trick from Jourdaine Fletcher inspired Cornwall College to a 4-2 win over Clarendon College, and a first ever appearance in the ISSA/FLOW Super Cup final by a DaCosta Cup team, on Saturday evening at Sabina Park.

The game, billed as “the Battle of the CC’s” lived up to expectations as the fans were fully entertained by an exciting game, which had the right amount of controversy to keep people talking after the final whistle.

The game was a slow burner that picked up steam after fifteen minutes when Fletcher hit the crossbar with a curler from just outside the area. Cornwall had done a good job of stifling the triple threat of Clarendon College in, Nicque Daley, Ricardo McIntosh and captain fantastic Creggton Charlton by doing very good man marking jobs on the trio.

Charlton had his first sight on goal from a dead-ball situation but his tame free kick was easy for Cornwall College goalkeeper Jamario Hines to handle.

Clarendon was dominating possession but Peter Lee Vassell was coming into his own and combining well with Fletcher to trouble the Clarendon back line, but it was a goalkeeping error that led to the first goal of the game.

Benjamin Williams who was the hero for his team against Jamaica College in the first round, was too elaborate with the ball that required a simple clearance. He coughed up possession and presented Aiden Jokomba with a gift that the Cornwall man gleefully accepted, firing home into the far corner to make it 1-0 in the 25th minute.

The goal woke up the sleeping giants from the West and they went on the attack mainly through Vassell and Fletcher but had Emmanuel Campbell in support as well.

But Clarendon clawed their way back into the contest when Shemar Hunter found the corner of the goal with a long range effort in the 36^th minute. The Cornwall defenders backed off and gave Hunter room to shoot and his arrow like shot crept in at the far post to the delight of the ‘Culla Blue’ fans.

Clarendon College wasted no time in taking over the lead as three minutes later Charlton found the back of the net with a beautiful curing free kick that had Hines beaten all ends up.

Clarendon College went into the break 2-1 to the good and looking comfortable.

The fourth goal in the game was always going to be crucial and it went the way of Cornwall College when Fletcher got his first of the contest from the penalty spot in the 59^th minute to make it 2-2.

Three minutes later he was back for more, scoring a stunning free kick of his own, that crept in at the far post. It was the second time that Cornwall was leading the contest and they imposed themselves on the contest to good effect as the minutes ticked off the clock.

The biggest moment of controversy in the game came when Hines went down and spilled the ball. The nearest Clarendon player fired it into the net but the goal was disallowed by the man in the middle, Garfique King.

The Clarendon College players and coaches complained bitterly, but to no avail

Fletcher completed his hat-trick and the scoring in the game after a complete miskick by a defender from a long clearance let him in. Fletcher controlled the ball inside the area before slotting home to make it 4-2 with a minute left in regulation time. It was the striker’s 7^th goal of the Super Cup and 31^st in all competitions played this season.

The well-coached Cornwall College team then saw out the game comfortably to book their first ever spot in the final.

“I feel very great right now. I don’t even know what to say, because I am feeling so special right now. I did my best,” said a delighted Fletcher.

“Fletcher is a true champion, he never says die,” coach, Dr. Dean Weatherly said of his star player’s performance. As to the overall team performance Weatherly credits that to all the persons involved with the team.

“Well we are there now so we have to come to the dance, that’s the big dance, we just have to dance properly”, he said of playing in the final on Saturday November 12^th.

Cornwall College will face Wolmer’s Boys who defeated St. Elizabeth Technical 6-5 on penalties, in the final at Sabina Park.