Linval Dixon, head coach of Haile Selassie High, says earning a point against former champions Charlie Smith High in the 2022 Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/Digicel Manning Cup competition speaks well for the development of his players.

This following Haile Selassie’s strong performance to secure a 0-0 draw against Group C favourites Charlie Smith on their home ground in Payne Land on Monday.

“It was a good performance from the team to earn a point here. I know that we started out a little shaky, or flat, because I think we weren’t calm enough. But as the game goes along our confidence level started to build and [we] began to play a little.

“Just to see the team [Haile Selassie] perform so well against a former champion of the league, you know it says well for Selassie. However, we definitely have to work on the top [forward]; we need to be a little bit more clinical there because we got some clear chances where we should have scored at least one goal.

“But it is so the game goes as, when you don’t take your chances, then sometimes it comes and haunt you but fortunately for us it never did and so it is something that we can work with and work on and hope we can squeeze in some goals the next time around,” Dixon told the Jamaica Observer.

Indeed, it was a shaky start to the match by both teams as in the first 45 minutes neither Haile Selassie nor Charlie Smith was able to find the back nets on numerous clear chances, and at times the willingness to score seemed to be missing.

Despite having less possession of the ball, the home team created the best chance of scoring when Andre Cross got all the time in the world to decide where to place his shot, but the confused striker instead chose to go over the cross the bar.

It was a more exciting game upon the resumption, as both teams looked more settled on the pitch, creating more chances and taking more shots at the goal. Still, the attackers failed to connect. And the reactions from the crowd said a lot about the disappointing efforts from the home team.

The crowd got even more incensed when Raldo Dyer, in front of an empty goal with only Charlie Smith’s Kyle Cunningham to beat, fired his shot straight in the hands of the custodian in the 62nd minute.

Charlie Smith had a couple of shots of their own with only the real chance coming in the 87th minute when Jahmoly Duhaney beautiful strike from 30 yards out was impressively saved by Kevin Hibbert in goal for Haile Selassie.

Despite the draw, Eugene Williams, head coach at Charlie Smith, was also pleased with his charges’ efforts.

“I still give the players some props; the thing is that we didn’t lose or we didn’t concede any goals. We are here to compete in the competition, and our chances of winning the competition are as good as anybody they have as the favourite. Once these guys put their foot on the ground and say that they are going to be disciplined, we get a favourable result going forward,” he said.

Monday’s results

Group A

Waterford 3, Meadowbrook 0

Group C

Edith Dalton James 2, Bridgeport 3

Haile Selassie 0, Charlie Smith 0

Tivoli Gardens 4, Vauxhall 0

Group F

Cumberland 1, Jose Marti 0