The playing field remains level in Group J after Kingston College (KC) and Charlie Smith High were held to draws in their respective Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/FLOW Manning Cup second-round encounters at Constant Spring Field yesterday.

KC came from behind to earn a 1-1 score line with a resilient St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), while Charlie Smith surrendered the lead and were held 1-1 by Bridgeport High in the feature game of the double-header.

Interestingly, for the third time since the start of the second round, all group games ended with identical score lines.

In the feature game Kemar James netted for Charlie Smith in the 18th minute, but a penalty by Captain Kyle Ming (90th+1) salvaged a point for Bridgeport High.

Charlie Smith enjoyed the better of play in the early exchanges and broke the deadlock when James’s intended cross from the right side of the 18-yard area took a wicked deflection off Ming and left custodian Kashwane Stanbury with no chance.

Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances Charlie Smith failed to extend their lead at the break as they were undone by poor decision-making.

Bridgeport High came out probing on the resumption and eventually found the equaliser from the spot after a lengthy period of dominance. A goal-bound shot from outside the area by Javaughn Dunn was deliberately handled inside the area by Sheldon Williams, who was subsequently shown a red card by referee Wilverglen Lamey in the 90th.

Though Charlie Smith’s custodian Shamarley Clayton guessed right, he was unable to deny Ming, who stepped up and executed a well-placed penalty kick in time added.

Garnett Lawrence, coach of Bridgeport High, was happy with the fight shown by his team to earn the point.

“All is even in the two games and we give God thanks; we dug deep today (yesterday); we have been playing a string of games and we really appreciate how the guys came out and fought hard for the draw. We knew that from we entered the second round it is going to be all tough games and today was just one,” he told the Jamaica Observer in a post-game interview.

His counterpart Jerome Waite was also appreciative of the point, despite surrendering all three late in the contest.

“It is tough that we conceded in time added on, but it is all a part of the game; these are youngsters and it is a learning process. This was our first game, so all is not lost… we just have to regroup and come again,” said Waite.

Earlier in the curtain-raiser, after playing out a goalless first half, Kingston College were left to play catch-up 22 minutes on the resumption when Trimane Shaw put STATHS in front. Shaw fired into an empty net from deep inside the area after custodian Jahvanni Grant failed to gather the ball cleanly.

However, after being denied by resilient defending from STATHS during a lengthy probe, national Under-17 representative Omar Thompson ensured Kingston College a share of the spoils when he headed home a well-weighted cross from captain Javain Brown in the 82nd minute.

Group KHaile Selassie vs St George’s College @ Prison Oval @ 1:00 pmWolmer’s Boys’ vs St Catherine @ Prison Oval @ 3:00 pm

Thursday’s schedule

Group K

Haile Selassie vs St George’s College @ Prison Oval @ 1:00 pm

Wolmer’s Boys’ vs St Catherine @ Prison Oval @ 3:00 pm