ST Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) Head Coach Philip Williams says consistency will be key if his team is to topple their opponents and go all the way to the final in the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup competition.

STATHS, who lost last year’s final on penalties to first-time champions Mona, ended the group stage with a 5-0 victory over Haile Selassie in Zone D at Collie Smith Drive on Saturday. They were led to victory by a double each from Dwayne Atkinson, in the 21st and 60th minutes, and Christiano Brown in the 26th and 79th minutes. Ajetai Marshall also scored in the 62nd minute. By virtue of the victory STATHS finished atop the group with 25 points, two ahead of Calabar. Halie Selassie was eliminated after finishing fourth in the group on 12 points.

Williams says STATHS has been playing well this season and is confident they can make a return to the final.

“We know that we have the quality in this team but it is the consistency that we are working on — and we have been working day in, day out so that we can have consistency at all times,” he said. “Getting back to the Manning Cup final is definitely the aim every year that we start out. We know it is a long stretch from now so we are just focusing on one game at a time.

“Going into the group stage, it’s just a matter of collecting points, and that’s where the focus is right now. It is a pretty young team but they are confident, and I think their confidence comes from what we do in training. They have shown that they can play, and they have been playing some good football so far. Although they are young, I am certain their ambition is to go all the way this year.

“It was a very good performance from my team because we know that we had the measure of them from the first leg. Based on what we saw, we knew they are a very good team — and today I think they played some decent football — but our quality came through in the end for us.”

Haile Selassie Assistant Coach Neville Walters says his team’s poor showing this year was due to a lack of discipline among his players.

“It was a rough season and a tough season because the team is divided, and when a team is divided then you are going to be conquered,” he said.

“I think because of that we didn’t have a good season. We stopped training during the season, and once you are not training then you can’t perform.”

STATHS, who came out in the first half looking the better team, took the lead midway the first period when Atkinson fired home from point-blank range in the 21st minute. Brown then doubled STATHS’s lead five minutes later when he dribbled by two defenders inside the 18-yard box to calmly slot home and give his team a 2-0 lead at half-time. STATHS outmuscled their opponents in the second half as Atkinson and Brown returned to wrap up the win.

Saturday’s results

Mona 1, Charlie Smith 0

Calabar 1, Camperdown 1

St Andrew Technical 5, Haile Selassie 0

Jonathan Grant vs Gaynstead rained out