Oniel Thomas doesn’t think that his near-perfect Dinthill Technical High School team came close to playing their best football against Jamaica College in the semi-finals of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Champions Cup on Saturday.

However, he will take the penalty shoot-out win that got them into the final of the competition for the very first time.

“I don’t think it was a very good game. It wasn’t the normal game that we have, meaning the regular performance that we always have. I think this is one of the worst games we played.

“It’s good to play a bad game and win than play a good game and lose, so it all worked out in the end,” he said.

Thomas praised the work done by his team in defence which helped them secure a final berth against Clarendon College.

“Football is not all about attacking, it’s about defending also and I think the team defended as well as they could to reach the penalty shoot-out and take it.”

He is proud of his players who had insisted from early in the season that they wanted to go after this particular trophy.

“I am proud for them really, because from the beginning they said they wanted it and they have reached (the final) so they can get it now.

“On the day the players have to come and do it, I won’t make any predictions now, but they are coming for it,” he stated.

Thomas also revealed that his experience as a coach had taught him to prepare for every eventuality ahead of the clash with Jamaica College.

“If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail, and that is one of our mottos. The players were saying that it wouldn’t go to a penalty shoot-out, but I said no, we have to prepare just the same and for the past two weeks we have been doing that and it worked out well.”

It is the first time that two daCosta Cup teams will be playing in the final of the competition, and Thomas who has also coached in the Manning Cup, sees it as a “special moment”.

“It is a special moment for the rural area. It shows that good football is being played in the rural area in the daCosta Cup and then again, it’s coaching and players that want to be coached, that’s important.”

Thomas also hinted that Dinthill are looking to become a massive force in schoolboy football based on their long-term plans. He expects a good final against Clarendon College.

“Our school is going to have a holistic development where we can have the transition from the Under-14 to the Under-16 and I think that’s what Clarendon College is doing, so I think we will get a good game in the final.”

Dinthill are still on course to win three major trophies this season and will next play Manning’s School in the daCosta Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.