Ruthless JC surge to top of Group A in Manning Cup
Jamaica College made a huge step towards securing a spot in the quarterfinal round of the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup with a 7-0 thrashing of Kingston High at the Ashenheim Stadium on Tuesday.
After a scratchy start to the competition where they dropped five points from their first two games, the champions have now won three games in a row, scoring 15 goals without conceding and have now climbed to the top of Group A, if only temporarily.
Two goals each from Marlon Pennicooke and Dwight Merrick along with strikes from Payanho Thompson, Ramon Dockery and Giovanni Mitto saw JC ease to their largest win of the season so far.
The Davion Ferguson coached team got off to a slow start by their standards, missing a number of easy chances, before Pennicooke finally opening the scoring in the 20
th
minute when he forced the ball home from six yards, while under pressure from Kingston High defender Toran Russell. The power of the shot took the ball past goalkeeper Marvin Fagan before he could raise his hands.
Mitto scored the second fifteen minutes later when he fired home from 12 yards through a crowded penalty box.
Payanho Thompson then scored the goal of the game, in the first minute of added time at the end of the first half, when he thundered home from distance after a give and go with a Pennicooke to make it 3-0.
Just as he did in the first half, Pennicooke got things going in the second, when he made it 4-0, just three minutes after the restart.
Dwight Merrick got his first in the 64
th
minute, making it 5-0 to a JC team that keep their feet on the accelerator. It was a goal straight from the training ground as Merrick received the ball from Mitto after a throw in made by Tarick Ximines and after taking a touch to drive into the box, he lashed the ball home into the far corner of the net.
Ramon Dockery who had worked hard all game was rewarded for his efforts when he deservedly got his goal in the 82
nd
minute.
Merrick then wrapped up the scoring in the game from the penalty spot in the 90
th
minute, to give his team their second emphatic win four days.
JC now have 10 points from five games and leapfrogged former leaders Kingston Technical High who are on 9 points and could go back to the top of the group with a win over strugglers Bridgeport High on Wednesday.
JC will end the first round with a game against Bridgeport at the Stadium East Field on Saturday starting at 3:00pm.
