Omar Laing, who is just 17 years old, has been the leading striker for former ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup champions St Andrew Technical High school (STATHS) this season.

He ended the first round of the competition with five goals from seven games and added three more to his tally on Friday, when he started the quarterfinal round with a bang as he bagged a hattrick against Walker Cup champions St Catherine High.

Laing scored the first two goals of the game in the first half before adding a third in the second half to help his team make a great start to the knockout round.

He said that the goals came as a result of listening to his coaches and executing the things taught in training.

“I think it was a good performance for my team. My coaching staff told me what to do when we were in camp and on the field at training.”

He revealed that he and his teammates felt good to be given a second chance after their school was restored to the competition after Camperdown High and Tivoli Gardens High were booted for the use of ineligible players.

“We felt good when they called us back in the competition because we didn’t advance originally. So, we feel good that we went through.”

Laing believes that the team has what it takes to advance to the semifinals and said that they will be working hard to make it to the final four.

Coach Phillip Williams has described him as their X-factor this season.

“Laing is our X-factor and in terms of coming at the quarterfinal and scoring a hattrick is a plus beside his name. He has been putting together some good games for us and hopefully he will continue to do so in the next two games to come.”

Williams will be hoping that Laing can perform some more heroics when they come up against Jamaica College tomorrow, the team that has stopped them in the finals of the Manning Cup in 2017 and again in 2019.