Manning race intensifies after latest round

Saturday, November 21, 2009 7:53 AM

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BY KAYON RAYNOR Senior staff reporter raynork@jamaicaobserver.com

Sunday, November 08, 2009

The race for automatic semi-final spots in Group One of the ISSA Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup quarter-final round remains a three-horse affair between St George's College, Jamaica College and Calabar.

Title holders St George's and Walker Cup champions JC played to a 1-1 draw in a rematch of the KO final, while 10-man Calabar beat Wolmer's Boys' 2-0 at Constant Spring yesterday to leave the group wide open with the final set of matches set for this week.

Calabar midfielder Daine Ewers (left) puts in a lunging tackle as Atiba Morgan of Wolmer's Boys' (right) tries to go past him during their Group One quarter-final round ISSA Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup clash at Constant Spring yesterday. Calabar won, 2-0. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

St George's have pole position with +2 goal difference over JC (+1), although both are locked on four points. Calabar have three points. The final round will see St George's versus Calabar and JC versus Wolmer's, who remain pointless.

In the first match, goals in either half by Akeil Barrett and Richard Edite did the trick for Calabar as Wolmer's wasted several opportunities.

Barrett, who was left unmarked in the box, guided home Daine Ewers' perfectly-weighted corner kick in the 27th minute before Edite slammed home a left-footer from 16 yards after a substitute found him with a cross from the left flank.

Although Calabar will be without ace goalkeeper Chevon Powell due to his ejection from yesterday's match, coach Alrick Clarke still rates his team's chances to pull off an upset win over the defending champions this week.

In the meantime, despite putting 12 shots on target, compared to JC's four, St George's had to settle for a 1-1 draw in the feature match of the double-header.

The Light Blues, who defeated JC 2-0 to win last year's title, took the lead through McKauly Tulloch who netted his 16th goal in the 46th.

However JC, who had beaten St George's 5-4 on penalties to take their first hold on the Walker Cup last week, equalised through talisman Ashani Walker in the 48th. It was Walker's 15th goal of
the season.

St George's coach Neville Bell said his team would not be taking Calabar lightly as they seek to retain the title.

"I think we need to win to ensure that we go through. It's going to be in important game. Calabar is a good team and hopefully we'll play well and be successful," Bell said.

JC's coach Alfred Henry hopes his players will recover in time for their clash against Wolmer's.

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