A nervous looking Kinston College squeezed out a 1-0 win over Spanish Town High yesterday as action continued in the LIME/ISSA Manning Cup competition.
A nervous looking Kinston College squeezed out a 1-0 win over Spanish Town High yesterday as action continued in the LIME/ISSA Manning Cup competition.
After the shock defeat to Greater Portmore last weekend, KC knew that any result other than a win would be unacceptable. The pressure of the situation seemed to affect the players at the start of the game as they looked jittery in possession turning over the ball frequently.
The late arriving Spanish Town were just as culpable as the game took a while to develop any pattern. It was the home team that would settle first with Chevaun Blake and Kashane Jones combining well down the right flank to cause the Spanish Town defenders problems. The visitors also had trouble coping with the overlapping runs of Kyle Smith down the left for KC.
In the middle of the park it was a battle of wills between the opposing captains, Allan Morgan for KC and Nathaniel Leslie for Spanish Town which was being won by Morgan.
KC tried their best to pass the ball while Spanish Town seemed content with trying to play the long ball. The ‘Purples’ carved out a few half chances before the industry of Blake and Jones bore fruit. Blake, as he had being doing from early, skipped by a Spanish Town defender then another before getting to the by-line and crossing to Jones who finished neatly at the near post in the 22nd minute, to send the school population into a frenzy.
It proved to be a tonic for the home team as suddenly the passing got a lot better and the decision making on the ball improved significantly. Despite their territorial dominance however, KC were unable to add to their lead although their defense managed to limit the Spanish Town to just one shot from distance during the entire first half.
The second half would prove to be a snooze fest as neither team was able to put together any passage of play to excite the spectators. The game was littered with bad passes and individual efforts that did not amount to much.
As the clock ran down KC started to look like a team desperate to secure a win which they managed to do in the end although Spanish Town did have one good effort on target in the final minute. It was a high, long range effort which Akim Larmond in the KC goal managed to tip over for a corner.
The final whistle brought an end to a scrappy second half but an important three points for the KC team who now move to second spot in their group after Penwood held Greater Portmore to a 1-1 draw. Spanish Town still lead the group with 7 points but have played a game more than KC.
Speaking with Yardie Sports after the game, KC coach Donovan ‘DV’ Hayles said, “I am impressed with the first half, we moved the ball well and controlled the game. The goal came from something we rehearsed over and over in training so it is pleasing to see them deliver it in the game.
“The result today shows the true KC spirit after the loss on Saturday, it was truly a case of ‘The Brave May Fall But Never Yield’. The second half wasn’t as good as the first but we are happy for the three points,” he reasoned.
Anthony Thompson, coach of Spanish Town High was unhappy with his charges – “We didn’t start well. Maybe they didn’t recover from the game against Eltham on the weekend. We took too long to get into the game. But they are a fairly young bunch so we just have to work with them.”
Photo: KC captain Allan Morgan battles with Spanish Town captain Nathaniel Leslie for the ball
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