Photo: Richard Byfield of Kingston College battles with Maleke Miller of St. Jago for the ball during their ISSA/FLOW Manning Cup second round game at the Prison Oval on Wednesday. St. Jaog won the game 2-1.
Kingston College lost to St. Jago for the second time in a week when they were beaten 2-1 at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, in the second game of a double header in Group J of the Manning Cup action on Wednesday.
St. Jago took the lead early when Ryan Smart, who scored against KC last Tuesday in the Walker Cup, tucked away a penalty in the 11th minute after a handball in the KC box.
Unlike the Walker Cup however, KC had a response and drew level five minutes later when Javain Brown provided a pass for Richard Byfield down the right channel and went in search of the return pass. The ball was played into his path by Byfield and Brown’s onetime effort flew into the roof of the net to make it 1-1.
From there on it was a battle in midfield as both teams sought control of the game. Ten minutes before the break KC had a glorious opportunity to take the lead when Jerome Lodge was played in behind the defence by Mackison but his attempted lob over the advancing goalkeeper, went wide of the target.
Shaqon Bryan had a similar chance to score for St. Jago after indecision in the KC defence, but his lob over Akim Larmond, hit against the crossbar a minute before half time.
St. Jago came out the aggressors in the second half and seized control of the match. Bryan had another opportunity to lob Larmond when he was released behind the KC defence but his effort went wide of the target.
With just under a third of the game to play, St. Jago should have taken the lead for the second time in the encounter but Smart who scored from the penalty spot in the first half, missed the second time around, giving the KC team a lifeline.
But the Spanish Town based team kept going and created a number of opportunities before grabbing the winner three minutes from time. A long throw from the right side was not dealt with by the KC defenders and Hayden Street stole in, to head home and grab all three points for St. Jago.
St. Jago coach Glen Laing was pleased with the result.
“I am pleased with the fight that we showed. It was a gutsy performance. I knew we had the fight and the goals in us, so I am happy for the three points.
“The Manning Cup is our focus and we are taking it one match at a time,” he concluded.
KC coach Ludlow Bernard saw the game as a good learning experience for his team.
“We did everything not to lose this game. It is a bitter pill to swallow. We should have dealt better with that long throw from which they got the winner. But it was a good learning experience and we will take the lessons to go forward.”
St. Georges College won the opening game 3-1 over Haile Selassie and now leads the group on goal difference. Only the group winners will advance to the semi-finals.
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