After booking their spot in the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup final for the first time in three years, Kingston College (KC) Head Coach Vassell Reynolds says the team is exceeding expectations and can go on to win the title.

The North Street-based school, which last won the title in 2021, beat last season’s finalists Hydel 2-0 in the semi-final at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

It was the second time the teams met this season with KC hammering Hydel 6-1 in the second round in October.

Though the scoreline was different this time around, the end result was the same with man of the match Matrim Martin netting in the 16th and first minute of stoppage time to send KC into the final.

Reynolds says the team’s approach to the game was a crucial factor in the win.

“The intention was to score early and remind the opponent of the 6-1 that we’d have given them early this season and that would affect them mentally,” he said.

“Second half we matched them stride for stride. They had more possession but not in any dangerous areas so overall it was a good performance.”

Reynolds guided the team to the last four in his first season at the school in 2023 and has now gone one better.

He says the boys have been maturing faster than expected and are capable of winning the title.

“Next year was when we set our sights on the Cup, based on the fact we wanted to restructure the programme and rebuild with some youngsters we saw last year but the fact the youngsters did so well and surprised a lot of people including myself, it made us want to try and repeat that even though we’re still a fairly young team,” he said. “So why not set our sights on making a step further and here we are.”

Hydel Head Coach Devon Anderson says he was disappointed in some of his players’ efforts in the game.

“My senior players never stepped up,” he said. “The younger ones stepped up but the senior players never stepped up. It was a tough game, we kept ourselves in it but as we all know, if you don’t score, you’ll come out on the losing end.”

Despite falling short for another season, Anderson says he’s committed to the continued growth of the programme.

“I have taken up a three-year project and this is the end of the three years,” he said. “We’ve been to one final and two semi-finals, so we’ve put ourselves in place to win a Cup and we didn’t. We just have to lick our wounds and come again.”

KC and St Catherine will do battle in the final at the National Stadium on Friday at 6:15 pm.