Photo: Akeene Shackford fires home the second goal for Jamaica College who defeated Hydel High 2-1 in the semi-final of the Walker Cup on Wednesday. JC will play St. Georges College in the final.
Jamaica College, the schoolboy triple football champions of 2010, battled their way to the final of the ISSA/LIME Walker Cup when they clipped Hydel High 2-1 at the Constant Spring Field on Wednesday.
A workmanlike performance from the many time champions saw them edge a determined Hydel team in a fascinating encounter on a pitch that made passing the ball difficult. Both teams took a while to settle as they adjusted to the uneven bounce of the playing surface. The first shot towards the goal was registered in the 18th minute when Jaleel Chamberlain dragged his effort wide of the far post.
Hydel was turning the screws and two minutes later Omar Palmer tried his luck from distance but the ball sailed harmlessly over the crossbar. A cross-cum-shot from Ronari Edwards had Courtney Dowdie scrambling to get back in the JC goal but the ball landed on top of the goal. The twin towers of JC, Raffique Bryan and Sheldon McKoy were failing to exert their influence on the game, while the midfield trio of Chamberlain, Dale Reid and Omar Palmer dictated the play for Hydel.
With the pressure sustained Hydel got a golden opportunity to take the lead in the 26th minute, when their leading scorer Stephen Barnett was played in behind the JC defence, but the striker was only able to toe poke the ball towards goal as he failed to test Dowdie.
JC responded immediately with an attack down the left side and Donovan Segree brought out a good save from Nicholas Clarke when he shot powerfully towards the near post.
JC captain Junior Flemmings dropped back into midfield to help out his team and the move worked as they gradually got control of the game, mounting attacks of their own as the Hydel midfield retreated.
The dominance bore fruit late in the first half when they were awarded a penalty for deliberate hand ball. Flemmings hammered home the penalty, low in the right corner to give his team a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, which they took to the half time break.
Two minutes after the restart, Barnett was guilty of another glaring miss when he received a diagonal pass from Chamberlain. With only Dowdie to beat, Barnett shot wide of the far post as the chance to draw level in the game was missed.
Desperately in need of an equalizer, Hydel poured forward in numbers leaving gaps at the back and were almost caught out when Clarke failed to hold on to a cross but his teammate came to his rescue and cleared the ball off the line in the 53rd minute.
Barnett’s nightmare in front of goal continued in the 61st minute when his left foot effort from the edge of the six yard box failed to hit the target.
The JC crowd was brought to life when a thunderous shot from McKoy cannoned off the left upright and back into play on minute 70. The “True Blue” turned up the heat on their opponents and it was no surprise when they went further ahead from the boots of Akeene Shackford. The burly forward who had been kept fairly quite throughout the game, caught the ball sweetly on the half volley from just inside the area and Clarke was helpless to stop the shot from crashing into the back of the net with 12 minutes left on the clock.
Hydel fans were cheering shortly after when Barnett finally took one of his many chances to pull one back for his school and set up an intriguing final ten minutes.
A determined JC defence held firm however as they booked a spot in the final for the first time since they won the triple crown.
“I think we are gradually getting better and better and that is very good. Junior Flemmings stepped up his performance in the second half and that made the difference for us today. He took a while to get going but in the end it was a good victory for us, I think we had a fantastic game,” a delighted Miguel Coley said.
Donovan Hayles said his team failed to make the use of their moments, “We had our moments in the game, especially in the first half and failed to make them count, and that is what cost us the game.”
Jamaica College will meet St. Georges College in the final after they defeated Charlie Smith in the second game of the double header.
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