Hydel High School football team Head Coach Devon Anderson says he is still confident of making the second round of the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup competition despite his team suffering their second defeat of the season to Wolmer’s Boys’ on Friday.

Beaming with confidence following their 7-1 whipping of Kingston High on Tuesday, Hydel’s celebration was cut short after going down 1-0 to the unbeaten Wolmer’s at Heroes’ Circle in their Group E clash. Jahmani Bell scored the goal in the 58th minute for Wolmer’s.

“Most definitely, the team can still make it out of the group stage,” Anderson told the Jamaica Observer. “This loss is just a nail in our tyre and we can regroup. We have six points and the two leaders [Mona and Wolmer’s] have 12 points each, but we can definitely regroup from this.

“The plan going forward is to win all of the remaining games and hopefully that will be good enough, but I am confident that the guys can make it to the next round. We have a quality team and we can do well.”

Hydel started the encounter well but threatened their opponent’s goal, but without any success. For most of the first half, not only did Hydel hold more possession of the ball, but their passes were also more accurate as well, and they took more shots on the target.

Gabriel Sevourne could have put Hydel in front, but the winger missed from the penalty spot in the 19th minute. Wolmer’s got into a groove and threatened with some strikes of their own, but failed to connect as the first half ended 0-0.

Upon the resumption, Wolmer’s came out a completely different outfit and clearly with a point to prove as their attackers wasted no time in threatening Hydel’s defence on numerous occasions. Wolmer’s then got the winner from a free kick from Bell which Hydel goalkeeper Daveigh Payton could do nothing about.

“Well, it is a game of two halves,” Anderson said. “I mean, you’ve got a chance and you don’t put it away. When you are playing away and you get a penalty early in the game and you don’t put it away, you basically set yourself up for anything that comes afterwards.

“The game, it was like back and forth, which lacked chances. We gave away silly fouls, one around the back, hence a free kick, and that ended up in the back of our net.”