Easy does it!
MANY-TIME champions Kingston College (KC) blanked Wolmer’s Boys’ School 2-0 while defending Walker Cup champions St Catherine High and Mona High played out a 0-0 draw in Group C action in the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/Digicel Manning Cup football competition at the Stadium East Field yesterday.
Wolmer’s were effectively playing their first game of the season following the only game they had played before, against St Mary’s College, being ruled null and void after the latter withdrew from the competition on Monday. KC, on the other hand, went into the game with six points already in the bag and in the hunt for three more.
KC settled quickly and dominated the early proceedings through their midfield maestro Christopher Pearson, taking an early lead when Pearson himself stroked home from close range after his teammate missed a cross from their Captain Jemone Barclay. It was the third goal in as many games for Pearson.
KC then doubled their lead when a deflected shot from Barclay found its way into the back of the net, to the despair of Wolmer’s custodian Malik Bogle.
Wolmer’s had looked tame in the first half, choosing to defend deep and allowing KC the expanse of the Stadium East field to do as they liked, but they reported for the second half a much better unit.
It then became a battle in midfield as the boys from Heroes’ Circle put up a much better fight in the second half than they did in the first.
They had a strong appeal for a penalty waived away by Referee Oshane Nation as well as a vociferous appeal for a goal after a shot from Malachi Sterling struck the underside of the crossbar and bounced behind KC goalkeeper David Martin, before he then gathered the bouncing ball.
Wolmer’s continued to push for a way back into the game but they would have no joy on the day as KC won their third game of the season without conceding a goal.
In the day’s earlier game, St Catherine High and Mona High battled out a 0-0 result in a game of missed chances.
Playing their typical style of football and with the wind at their backs, Mona played a high-paced, uptempo game which St Catherine High struggled to deal with.
Romarion Thomas got the first chance of the match for Mona but his effort, from inside the box, went away from the goal rather than into the net and became a regulation catch for Omarion Brown in the St Catherine goal.
When the ball fell kindly for Jevin Parkinson he got under it on the half-volley and skied his effort from 16 yards out, dead centre of the goal.
Mona’s Keneldo Brown saw his ferocious shot from 20 yards smash against the crossbar and back into play as it beat his namesake in the St Catherine goal.
The game continued to ebb and flow until Brown missed the clearest chance of the half when he kicked wide of the target with only the goalkeeper to beat from eight yards out.
St Catherine thought they had taken the lead midway the second half when substitute Dillion Richards fired the ball into the back of the net after getting to it ahead of Akeem Bernard, but was denied by the flag of the assistant referee.
Both teams then came close to grabbing a late winner from a set piece.
Nathel Ellis struck a dangerous free kick for St Catherine that was tipped over for a corner kick and then Zhaine Pinnock saw his goal-bound free kick for Mona pushed by Brown unto the crossbar and over for a corner kick, late in the game.
KC now lead the group with nine points followed by Mona and St Catherine who are tied on four points each. The other three teams in the group, Wolmer’s, Clan Carthy and Papine High, are yet to pick up a point.