Campion College Head Coach Ashton Blankson is anticipating more improvements from his youthful players, as they continue to chart a course towards historic silverware with an important Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/Digicel Walker Cup knock-out victory on Thursday.

Blankson’s boys through sheer grit and determination bettered Jose Marti Technical 4-1 on penalties after earlier coming from behind to secure a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time at Calabar High playing field.

After Shemar Hanchard sent Jose Marti in front in the 35th, Campion College’s talismanic striker Kai Myles found his team’s equaliser in the 53rd minute in what started out as a lukewarm contest but gradually picked up along the way.

Myles, Djaz Less, Nicholai Banton, Thierry Johnston were all perfect from the 12-yard spot for Campion as custodian Alex James proved heroic in the shootout.

The diminutive goalkeeper denied Deamoy Stewart and Daniel Jackson with Hanchard finding Jose Marti’s lone conversion.

That left Blankson beaming with pride about the poise and confidence displayed by his team.

“We could have converted some chances and I think there are some things we could have fixed but when it got to the penalty shootout we executed some very good kicks. So we are happy for the victory and we go back to the drawing board to come again next game,” Blankson said in a post-game interview.

The win saw Campion joining defending champions St Catherine, Excelsior and Tivoli High in the next round where they are set to square off against St George’s College, Haile Selassie, Charlie Smith and Wolmer’s Boys’ — all of whom failed to get past the Manning Cup quarter-final.

Still, Blankson believes is team has proven that they have what it takes to challenge their more fancied opponents.

“It’s excellent experience for the boys because there is not one player here that played Under-19 before, so for them to have the opportunity to play so well and break the tradition of lose to now winning is great for them and they will only get better from here,” he said, adding that the focus is now on recovery ahead of their next fixture.

— Sherdon Cowan

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

Tivoli Gardens 2, Jonathan Grant 1

Campion College 1 (pk-4), Jose Marti 1 (pk-1)

Excelsior 2, Norman Manley 0

WEDNESDAY’S RESULT

St Catherine 2, St Jago 0