JC whip Wolmer’s 3-1 to book semi-final spot
Defending champion Jamaica College (JC) turned in a workmanlike performance whipping Wolmer’s Boys 3-1 and booked their spot in the semi-final of the Flow ISSA Manning Cup at the Constant Spring field yesterday.
Goals by Zeron Sewell (51st minute), Tyreek MaGee (56th) and Malik Howell (71st), pushed JC to the top of Group H with seven points and into the semi-final where they are scheduled to meet Denham Town High.
Rojay Smith scored a consolation in the 66th minute for a Wolmer’s team that started the day on top of the Group with six points and only wanted a draw to knock the champions out of the Manning Cup.
Earlier, Holy Trinity High clipped Vauxhall 2-1 to finish third in the group with four points with the losers finishing at the bottom pointless.
Jabari Howell and Keno Clare scored for Holy Trinity in the 11th and 52nd minutes, respectively, while Jordon Batson had given Vauxhall a fourth-minute lead.
JC, playing without head coach Miguel Coley who is on national duty with the Reggae Boyz, delivered in style.
It was the second straight game JC were facing elimination and showed their true championship qualities in getting the required result.
Last week playing with 10 men, they defeated Vauxhall 3-0 in a must-win match and now, knowing they had to win, did just that and seemed to be peaking at the right time.
But luck favoured the brave and just seconds after Wolmer’s twice hit the upright, JC struck courtesy of a penalty from Sewell after Joshua McNaught was ruled to have fouled the skilful Chevaun Crooks in the box.
Had Wolmer’s Boys’ Rojay Smith and Alphanso Gooden’s efforts went in, it would have been a different game altogether.
With the Heroes’ Circle boys pressing for that all-important equaliser, JC struck another cruel blow as Magee’s freekick sailed by a badly positioned goalkeeper in the 56th minute, and the writing was on the wall.
However, Wolmer’s got a lifeline from the penalty spot in the 66th minute as Smith made no mistake and the maroon-and-gold boys were upbeat and regained that spring in their steps.
But just five minutes later, that was quickly dissipated as substitute Howell pounced on a loose ball, and when the defender slipped, he showed enough composure to push the ball past the floundering defender and calmly fired home in the 71st minute.
Past student, Donald Stewart, who deputised for Coley, said his team came out with a desire to win and went out there and executed well.
“There were no worries. It was just to get them up, but they know what the job at hand was and it was just to remind them,” said Stewart.
Wolmer’s coach Vassell Reynold said his team went flat after they gave up the first goal.
“It was a tough game and we were always in the game until the end of the first half. I think we never recovered from that penalty and the second goal caught us thinking about that which I thought was a soft penalty and we got a little agitated and never remained composed,” he said.
The competition continues today with action in Group J with St George’ College tackling Kingston College at the Constant Spring field, while St Jago take on Haile Selassie High at the Spanish Town Prison Oval. Both games are scheduled to start at 3:00 pm.
St George’s College lead the group with six points ahead of both KC and St Jago on three points each. St George’s need only a draw to advance to the semi-finals, while a win of both KC and St Jago will see the three teams locked on six points in which goal difference would decide the group winner. Jonathan Grant await the winner of this group.