DETHRONED Manning Cup champions Mona secured their first hold on the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/Digicel Walker Cup Knockout trophy with a hard-fought, come-from-behind 4-1 victory over Excelsior in the final at the National Stadium on Friday.

Mona were led to victory courtesy of a second-half brace from KShaine Gordon in the 52th and 77th minutes. Carlton Brown (34th), and Marlon Cunningham (55th) were the goalscorers for Craig Butler-coached Mona, who were knocked out at the quarter-final stages of the Manning Cup competition this season.

Damarley Williams scored for Excelsior in the 12th minute of the game.

Excelsior got off to a dream start when Williams fired home a thunderbolt, 30-yard strike against the run of play past goalkeeper Riquelme Edwards, to give his team the lead.

Mona, who appeared shell-shocked by the early goal, failed to match their opponents’ high-tempo game as they allowed Excelsior to dominate most of the first half.

But Excelsior’s Kimarly Scott missed two easy scoring opportunities, within minutes of each other, to extend his team’s lead in the first period. Scott, a livewire, was sent clear on goal in the 24th minute, but with Edwards at his mercy he fired high over the crossbar from 18 yards.

The stoutly built Scott then thought he had netted Excelsior’s second goal of the match, a minute later, but his point-blank effort also sailed over the crossbar.

Excelsior were made to pay for these early misses when Brown netted the equaliser for Mona in the 34th minute as the first stanza ended 1-1.

Mona came out firing on all cylinders in the second half with two quick-fire goals. Gordon made it 2-1 for Mona when he pounced on a lost ball inside the 18-yard box, after Excelsior had to clear their lines, to fire home past custodian Jamari Gordon.

Cunningham extended Mona’s lead three minutes later as he headed home a well-measured corner kick from Denzel McKenzie past Gordon and into the back of the net.

Excelsior battled very hard to get back into the game but they were kept at bay by an extremely strong Mona defensive unit led by the likes of Robino Gordon, Dante Peralto and Cunningham.

Mona scored their fourth goal of the match as Gordon’s 20-yard effort went through the hands of Excelsior’s goalkeeper and into the net.

— Robert Bailey