Mona Prep beat Sts Peter and Paul 1-0 to capture the 2018 Tastee/Jamaica Independent Schools’ Association (JISA) Henriques Cup knockout football title played at Sts Peter and Paul Prep School playing field on Saturday.

Rhondre Rainford, who went on as a substitute, headed home from a corner taken by Kaiel Casserly in the 53rd minute.

It was Mona’s first title since capturing the double — the Alberga Cup and Henriques Cup KO in 2015.

Mona’s coach, Alfred Nelson, was very happy to have won this title. “We were on a three-year development programme towards winning both titles, similar to what we had done in 2015.

“It was a tough game, but it was also a good victory, and the players are feeling delighted to have won and will now look forward to reaching the final of the Alberga Cup,” Nelson said.

Nelson said he will be taking the matches in the quarter-final round of the Alberga Cup one game at a time as he is also confident that Mona should be able to advance into the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, Michael Blygen, coach of Sts Peter and Paul, said it was a very tough match as both teams attacked each other throughout, but his players did not get any clear chances to score.

“Mona has a very strong defence line and they stood out well and were difficult to beat as they denied our attacks from getting through. The goal they scored that gave them victory was an excellent one that gave our goalkeeper no chance as it went into the far upper corner of the goal,” Blygen said.

He said despite the loss in the knockout final, Sts Peter and Paul still have a good chance of qualifying for the Alberga Cup semi-finals, but they will have to win their next two matches after losing the first to Quest, 2-1, in the quarter-final round.

Their next two games will be against Emmanuel and Ardenne Prep.

On the pitch, the match was evenly contested from the start with Mona having a slight advantage by producing more attacking plays inside their opponents’ penalty box, but they failed to convert.

Emmanuel tagged Lannaman’s Prep 2-0 through goals from Jadon Dunbar in the third minute and Djaz Less in the 53rd minute to win the third-place play-off.

In the semi-finals of the Henriques Cup, played last Wednesday, Mona had defeated Emmanuel 5-4 on penalties after they played to a 1-1 draw at full time. Rhondre Rainford also scored for Mona with a header, while Sts Peter and Paul had clipped Lannaman’s 1-0.