Photo: Lemmar Stewart of Charlie Smith being chased by Khori Bennett of Wolmer’s in Walker Cup action on Saturday. Charlie won the game 2-1 to advance to the semi-finals.
Charlie Smith High school became the fourth team to advance to the semi-final of ISSA/LIME Schoolboy Walker Cup Knockout Competition when they denied Wolmers the chance of a three-peat on Saturday. St.Georges College, Hydel and Jamaica College are the other three teams who have advance to the semifinal stage.
The support was there for both schools, with a full house at the Constant Spring Field. Both teams started out pressing each other but did not create any clear chances in the first 30 minutes.
Choosing to play the ball via the aerial route on a pitch not suitable for passing, neither team was really in control of the game. Just around the 40 minute mark,Wolmer’s started to settle and were putting combination passes together.
The Wolmer’s fans then did not have to wait long to celebrate after defender Joel Pagan pounced on a ball just outside the Charlie Smith 18 yard box and kicked it powerfully to the bottom right hand corner leaving the Charlie Smith goal keeper standing and staring in the centre of the goal. A short shower of rain came soon after making the playing area slick and the ball wet.
With the clock winding down to half time, Charlie Smith responded through their Captain Odane Samuels. The defender took a free kick around 40 yards that went to the Wolmer’s custodian Dane Lee who failed to hold on to the ball and it fell into the goal to level the game at 1-1 in the 45th minute.
The Wolmer’s supports and players were left disappointed after the error made by the goal keeper. It got worst for the Hero’s Circle based school when Charlie Smith goal machine Bebeto McDonald had a crack on goal from 22 yards to give Charlie Smith a 2-l lead in first time stoppage time.
Straight from the kick-off at the start of the second half Lemmar Stewart tried at long range shot from the center circle that Lee gather easily this time around. The Ludlow Bernard coached Wolmers looked more settled in the second half, but they failed to create meaningful chances. Jaheel Hyde took the load on his back and tried to use his speed to run at defenders. The Charlie Smith defense. marshaled by Samuels though, kept the Wolmers attack at bay.
The multi-talented Hyde received a ball on the right and cut on to his favored left foot an rifled a shot that went just over the Charlie Smith cross bar in the 65th minute.
Wolmer’s had more ball possession going up to the 70th minute but was playing in patches and found it difficult to break down the Charlie Smith defense.
Man of the match Bebeto McDonald was denied a second goal by the left upright after dismissing two defenders on the right and tried a very ambitious shot from acute angle, just inside the 18 yard box in the 80th minute.
The final whistle brought massive celebrations from the Charlie Smith supporters while it ended the chances of Wolmers claiming four titles this season
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