St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) have set up an ISSA/FLOW Manning Cup semi-final date with Kingston College after edging many-time champions St George’s College 4-3 on penalties in the Group G play-off at Constant Spring Field yesterday.

After playing out a goalless scoreline in their previous meeting, which resulted in yesterday’s play-off fixture, it was anticipated that it would have required the dreaded penalty kicks to separate the teams.

And so it was as they played out a 1-1 stalemate in full time.

Romario Harding, with his seventh goal of the season, fired St George’s College in front in the 45th minute, but super-substitute Nicholas Stewart, who entered the contest in the 81st minute, pulled STATHS level in the 86th minute.

Following Stewart’s exploits, captain and goalkeeper Jeadine White, like he has done all season, came up big for his team to once again justify claims that he is arguably the best schoolboy goalkeeper this season.

White stopped two of St George’s College’s 12-yard kick and then powered home the final kick for his team past his opposite number Hakeem Francis to book another date with another North Street-based team.

Winning Coach Phillip Williams was overwhelmed while being optimistic of turning the tables on Kingston College in next week’s semi-final after going down 0-1 in their previous meeting in the Walker Cup knockout competition.

“I think this one is well deserved; we are coming off two matches which we lost, but we gained lots of experience, the side really grew and knows what it is like to play on a big day, which today (yesterday) was one. We had a game plan and it was working for us, but unfortunately we conceded and we had to push a little more in an effort to get that equalising goal, and thank God we did,” he told journalists in a post-game interview.

“KC is the best ball-playing team in the competition, but we know what it is like to play against them, and we know what to do to nullify their ball-passing game. But we are going on the training ground, and we will do our homework and come. Whenever the semi-final is we will be prepared,” Williams added.

Meanwhile, amidst the disappointment, head coach of St George’s College, Neville “Bertis” Bell, lauded his team for their efforts.

“I don’t think we played brilliantly, but I don’t think we played badly.

“I thought we played them better than we did in the first one that ended goalless, but we gave up a late goal that I don’t think we should have given up, and we got a couple of opportunities that we didn’t take. So, I congratulate STATHS and I thank God that we got this far, but obviously disappointed that we didn’t go any further,” Bell stated.

Despite coming off a gruelling FLOW Super Cup penalty loss against St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) over the weekend, STATHS came out more purposeful in the early exchanges and had a few good looks on goal which they failed to capitalise on.

With the game still awaiting its first goal past the half-hour mark, it seems the scoreline would remain unchanged heading into the break, but St George’s College found the lead against the run of play.

Arseno Hamilton, with a tidy run down the left channel, floated a well-weighted cross inside the 18-yard box, which was expertly headed down by Harding and left White no chance, as the ‘Light Blues’ went 1-0 up at the interval.

Now with the advantage, the North Street boys took over proceedings on the resumption, but failed to make the most of their dominance in possession and may have been a bit too laid back with time winding down.

As such, they allowed STATHS back into the contest and the team from Bumper Hall duly obliged. They went close when Andre Smith’s right-footed drive from the top of the box was deflected by a defender and clipped the cross bar on its way out.

They threatened again in the 82nd when Stewart signalled intentions immediately upon entry, but he just failed to get the final touch ahead of goaltender Francis from a long pass.

However, Stewart eventually started the knockout blow four minutes from time when he fired past the hapless Francis to send the game straight into penalties.

It was then time for the White show, and the custodian, after being beaten by Hamilton and watched as his teammate Noel Walker hit the cross bar, then entertained the large crowd in attendance.

He guessed right to deny Paul Young Jr and substitute Nathaniel Hamilton in successive kicks, as David Smith and Marc Chambers converted to give STATHS a 2-1 lead.

Harding and Captain Akeem Robotham kept St George’s College’s hopes alive, but those were erased when heroes Stewart and White converted the last two kicks for STATHS.