MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Donovan Duckie, the Manchester High daCosta Cup coach, said he is surprised by his team’s impressive start to the ISSA/Flow schoolboy football season.

The mid-island school currently occupy top spot in Zone F on maximum 12 points, following victories against Cross Keys High, Belair High, Mile Gully High and deCarteret College, while scoring 19 unanswered goals in the process.

But Duckie, now in his second season at the school, has downplayed their achievements thus far — labelling his side “a young team”.

“To be honest, it is very surprising because we are a young team,”said Duckie in the aftermath of Saturday’s 4-0 win at Mile Gully, adding that, at the moment, the aim is to find the right balance in his squad.

He did, however, admit that they are the favourites to win the group, while also praising his troop’s accuracy in front of goal.

“What has been good is that we have been scoring a lot of goals,” he said.

“Last year, that was our downfall. This year we have managed to correct that and we are a much better attacking team now” — thanks chiefly to their industrious centre forward, Romaine Walsh, who has so far tallied eight goals, including two hat-tricks — one of which came against Mile Gully.

“The players are more confident now,” added Duckie. “They are showing more understanding, so hopefully we can maintain this form and transfer it to the latter stages of the competition.”

Manchester High, who have contested three schoolboy finals without success since 2009, go in search of a fifth successive victory Thursday at Winston Jones High.