Jamaica College (JC) did it… again.

The “Dark Blues” reign continues. With their pride back intact, they successfully retained the ISSA/FLOW Manning Cup title for a fifth-consecutive year.

It was a lot harder than they would have liked, but like true champions they maintained their composure to defeat St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) 5-3 on penalties at the National Stadium last night.

Shaneil Thomas had earlier sent JC in front in the 29th minute, but David Smith pulled STATHS level in the 40th minute as both teams played out a very familiar 1-1 scoreline in full and extra time.

JC’s big five were not to be denied and Tyreek Magee led from the front before Tevin Rochester, Thomas, Captain Maliek Howell and Norman Campbell brought it home from the penalty spot.

STATHS started well through Smith, followed by goalkeeping Captain Jeadine White and Jevoney Johnson as they kept pace with the champions. But Marc Chambers skied his 12-yard kick which paved the way for JC to seal the victory.

JC have now added the Manning Cup — their seventh in the last 10 years and their 29th overall hold on the prestigious trophy — to their Walker Cup knockout success.

The Old Hope Road team will now be seeking to repeat their 2014 triple-crown success with the Olivier Shield, having already bagged the Walker Cup.

In celebrating his team’s victory, coach Miguel Coley paid respect to STATHS, a more than a worthy opponent.

“I know it always was gonna be difficult; we knew they are a tough team. So in added time we kind of sat back and we held our composure through the shootout and came out victorious,” he said.

His counterpart Phillip Williams saluted the lads for a job well done for the most part.

“The guys played a good game today (yesterday)… We were very consistent for the most part and we made some changes that weren’t as critical as we would have liked, but we saw it through to the end in the shootout. Unfortunately, the youngster missed, but I can’t blame him and I’m still very proud of them,” he noted.

It was a frantic start to what was expected to be a mouth-watering finale, as both teams sought to settle the score once and for all in this their third meeting of the season, following 1-1 results in earlier fixtures.

STATHS had a good look at goal in the 14th minute, but Giovanni Howell’s shot was deflected by a defender.

The big match-up eventually came to the fore in the 19th minute when STATHS custodian Jeadine White proved equal to the task to parry a well-taken, 25-yard free kick from Tyreek Magee.

JC almost found the breakthrough in the 25th minute when Tevin Rochester’s firmly struck left-footed effort was kept out by White diving full stretch to his left.

However, it inevitably came four minutes later on the stroke of the half-hour mark when Thomas breached the defence and calmly slotted past the advancing White to send the large section of JC supporters into a frenzy.

But the Dark Blues were hungry for more, and would have got it had Rochester or Norman Campbell made contact with a teasing pass from Magee.

Despite being down, STATHS continued to forge ahead and it took some brilliance from custodian Khari Williams to deny them on successive occasions.

The first came in the 33rd minute when Williams parried a left-footed effort from Shamir Gibbs, and he came up big again to tip over a header from Barrington Bailey from the resulting corner.

And just when it seemed the champions had weathered the storm, a defensive mix-up between Williams and defender Tyrese Locke proved costly, as the latter’s clearance resulted in a corner which brought about the equaliser five minutes from the interval.

The well-weighted set play by Armani Reid was expertly headed home by Smith to make it 1-1 at the break.

Riding on their momentum ahead of the break, STATHS came out prowling and should have gone ahead four minutes in, but Bailey, with a clean run at goal, fired high and wide.

The game gradually lost its sting thereafter with both teams failing to create any meaningful chances, but JC looked the more dangerous in the final third. They had a clear opportunity in the 83rd minute, but Locke’s weak effort was kept out by the outstretched leg of White.

But that was all they would get as the score remained unchanged at the final whistle.

With STATHS now looking cagey, JC continued to dominate proceedings in the first half of extra time, but they were again left cursing their luck when Campbell’s right-footed effort screamed across the face of goal from an angle.

And, after also failing to separate themselves on the other side of extra time, it was down to the dreaded penalty kicks to decide a champion.