CATHERINE HALL, St James — Jamaica College (JC) opened the defence of their ISSA/FLOW Manning Cup title after beating St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) 2-0 in their opening Zone B game played at the Montego Bay Sports Complex yesterday.

Goals in either half from Duhaney Williams and substitute Norman Campbell gave the Miguel Coley-coached JC a less-than-impressive start as they wasted numerous chances and were outplayed for most of the second half.

Coley told the Jamaica Observer he was happy for the win and that his team would get better as the competition continues.

“It’s important to get three points in your first game, we drew last year so this is an improvement; we can do better,” Coley said. “We have some players out with injuries and they will be back soon.”

He said the heavy underfoot conditions could have affected his team as well but “the players could have played the ball faster than they did but we are satisfied with the victory”.

Alrick Clarke, who is in his second season at STATHS, said nerves got the better of his players, but that “they were better in the second half and we got the chances to score but finishing let us down.”

He said he expects his team to get better as the competition continues.

JC settled earlier and dominated the first half of play but only a well-taken goal from Williams in the 24th minute when he took the ball to the right side of the 18-yard box and shot it back across the goal, beating goalkeeper Jerdin White.

White was STATHS’ best player in the first half as he pulled off two blocks, both from a wasteful Chavoy Willis, to keep his team in the game.

Clarke’s half-time talk seemed to work for the STATHS players as they came out more positive and had JC on the run for most of the period.

Jaroney Johnson, who came on in the 63rd minute, put some spark in the STATHS attack and he should have levelled the scores with his first touch, beating central defender Ajeanie Talbott but allowed the defender to recover and block his shot.

Johnson got another chance in the 75th minute but shot wide from close range.

JC killed off the game a minute into stoppage time when the STATHS defence failed to clear a ball and Campbell was well placed to punch the ball into the goal with White stranded at the right side and unable to get back into position.