Fans expect much from Duckie’s Manchester
MANDEVILLE, Manchester — It says a lot about their rise in schoolboy football that, irrespective of the make-up of their squad, Manchester High are still expected to hunt trophies.
On Wednesday, at deCarteret College, that was the sentiment being hinted at by their fans.
“Right now,” said one rather colourful supporter, “we doh want more than four (goals) against dem small side yah. We a conserve energy fi the real big teams later in the competition.”
In the end, he did get his wish. Manchester, without really being at their best, eased by DC 4-0 courtesy of a brace from captain Isamnia Cohen and one each from Michael Daley and Travis Haughtorne.
Having played a game fewer than early leaders Mile Gully, the points standing now lists Manchester as the second-place team in Zone F. However, on Saturday, that is expected to change when they welcome Mile Gully and their former coach, Barry Watson, to their Perth Road base.
“Mile Gully is the next best team in the zone, and dem nuh have nuh side,” said another ‘Chester’ faithful. “We go deal wid dem nice and proper.”
Even if he believes it, the only man wearing Manchester High garb who will never utter those words — at least not in public — is their coach, Donovan Duckie. “Remember that Spain were expected to win the World Cup. They didn’t win. And remember that Costa Rica wasn’t expected to reach the quarter-finals, either.”
It’s not that Duckie does not believe in his team’s ability to top this group, which also includes Cross Keys and Belair Academy. In fact, he could not be more confident. He just does not want his players to believe that the game is played on the match cards.
“That’s one thing that you should never do (and that’s to) underestimate your opponents,” cautioned Duckie, who even has similar words printed on the front of his Manchester jersey: “Talk is cheap, let’s play.”
“Yes, we are expected to win,” added the St Mary native, “but you have to put in the work, then come out on the day and deliver. Today (Wednesday), we wanted to impose ourselves on the opponents, even though it is an away game. I think we did that pretty early with that goal (in the first minute).
“We controlled the tempo of the game and maintained a good shape, so I think it is a well-deserved victory for us. And it is a good feeling, because it is always important to win your first match.”
