The quarter-finals of the 2021/2022 ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup football competition kicked off over the past two days with the fancied teams scoring victories.
In Group One action on Friday, defending champions Jamaica College blanked Mona High School 2-0 and St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) destroyed St Catherine High School 4-1, while in Group Two action on Saturday, Kingston College proved too good for Charlie Smith High and Excelsior High School defeated Kingston Technical High School 3-1.
On Friday at Stadium East, STATHS sent down a marker when Omar Laing scored a hat-trick (18th, 36th, 78th) and captain Omar Reid (75th) hot the net as substitute Dwight Gentles grabbed an 86th-minute consolation for the losers.
And JC produced an improved second-half display to blank Mona High through a 53rd-minute penalty from Captain Duncan McKenzie and substitute Shemron Phillips’s 65th-minute strike in their contest.
STATHS, the beaten finalists two seasons ago, assumed the early advantage in Group One ahead of JC.
On Saturday at Stadium East, Kingston College through goals from Christopher Pearson in the ninth minute, Ronardo Burgher in the 67th, and Demario McCarthy two minutes from full time enabled Kingston College to assume early leadership of the group.
Charlie Smith played the last 20 minutes a man down after defender Dacquan Green was given his marching orders for violent conduct.
In the day’s early game, Jevaughnie Simms on 28 minutes, Onando Calame, 64th, and Captain Jhevan Smith, three minutes from full time, got the goals for Excelsior High in their 3-1 win over Kingston Technical, who pulled one back from Maquan Aldridge in the 35th minute.
