Champions Cup holders Cornwall College had to dig deep on Saturday to beat Irwin High 2-1 in their opening ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup Zone A game played at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall.

Despite losing a number of starters from last year’s team that created history by becoming the first daCosta Cup team to win the all island competition, Cornwall was expected to get the better of Irwin High who managed just a point last year.

Irwin stunned the wasteful Cornwall College taking the lead with the last kick of the first half when Shaquoy Troupe beat goalkeeper Peter Sinclair at his near post with a curling free kick from some 22 yards out.

With defeat staring them in the face the 12 time champions rose to the occasion with Brandon Curate scoring in the 80th minute, his first for Cornwall College and Calvin Stephens getting the winner in the 90th minute, also his first goal at this level, starting the game after coming off the bench last year.

Irwin High’s goalkeeper Shevor Thelwell had an outstanding game, making a series of brilliant saves while the Cornwall strikers, Stephens, Raheim Heaven and Denyu Ricketts all wasted good scoring chances.