Mona top Camperdown in seven-goal thriller
Mona High turned in a championship-like performance to make it seven-straight wins in this year’s ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup competition after their exciting 4-3 victory over Camperdown in Group E at the Courtney Walsh Oval on Thursday.
Mona, who led 2-1 briefly in the first half of the match, had to come from behind in the second half to secure the victory.
They were led to their win courtesy of a brace from striker Zhane Pinnock in the 31st and 75th minutes. Kshaine Gordon (21st) and Donhue Mitchell (88th) were the other goalscorers for Mona.
Devonte McCrea (23rd and 34th) and Shelton Ricketts (47th) were the goalscorers for Camperdown, who were suffering their third defeat of the season from six matches.
The victory was Mona’s second-straight win over their opponents this season, and Head Coach Craig Butler said his team had to dig deep for the win.
“I think it was a very tough game…I think Camperdown came to try and prove a point to say our last win against them was a fluke, but we came from behind several times, showing the spirit that lies within the Mona players,” he said.
However, the match ended in controversy after Camperdown’s Coach Donovan Lofters was shown the red card by the referee after he ran on to the field to protest Mona’s equalising third goal. He was claiming that the ball had gone out of play before that goal was scored.
Lofters blamed his team’s defeat on poor officiating by the match officials.
“This game never needed any help from anybody because it was an end-to-end game, but the referee decided that he was going to decide the result,” said Lofters.
“The ball clearly went out of play because it went out by two metres and everybody was appealing for it and we have the TV to prove that the ball went outside, and so I just feel that I was cheated today,” he said.
The first half of the game ended 2-2, but Camperdown came out firing in the second stanza as Ricketts put them ahead two minutes after the resumption when he fired home from point-blank range.
However, the speedy and skilful Pinnock pulled Mona level to make it 3-3 before Mitchell sealed the victory for his team two minutes from time. In the Group’s other games, Wolmer’s defeated Papine 5-1 and Hydel edged Kingston 2-1.
— Robert Bailey