Photo: Clarendon College captain Creggton Charlton scored the winniner for his team as they downed former ISSA/FLOW Super Cup champions 1-0 at Sabina Park on Saturday. Charlton scored in the 50th minute to seal victory for his team who were making it to the second round for the first time in three attempts.
Clarendon College made it the quarter final round of the cash rich ISSA/FLOW Super Cup competition when they clipped the first champions of the competition, Jamaica College 1-0 at Sabina Park on Saturday night. The victory came courtesy of a 50th minute striker from their inspirational captain Creggton Charlton.
The game was expected to be a cracker between two of the ‘big teams’ in schoolboy football and it lived up to the billing for the thousands of fans that turned up to watch.
Jamaica College started the game on the front foot and it took a super save from the Clarendon College custodian Benjamin Williams to deny namesake Duhaney Williams from close range in the third minute. The JC striker had thundered a volley towards the corner of the net but the goalkeeper dived to his right and held the ball well.
Chevany Willis had a go from distance in the 8th minute but his shot was always going wide as JC put the Clarendon team under extreme pressure. They passed the ball well and bossed possession forcing back the “Cola Blue” deep into their own half.
Ajeanie Talbott had the ball in the back of the net for JC in the 11th minute from a Maliek Howell free kick but was ruled offside by the assistant referee.
Donovan Dawkins had Williams reacting quickly in the 20th minute when he controlled a throw-in neatly before turning his marker and firing at the near post, but the goalkeeper stuck out a boot to clear the danger. As good as JC were in this dominant opening period, Williams was as equally good for CC in goal as he single handedly kept them in the game.
But then it started to rain. And with the rains came a shift in dominance on the field of play. Suddenly CC were on the front foot bossing the play and running at the JC defence.
Donovan Noble should have put CC ahead six minutes before the break when he was all alone, with time and space inside the box, but he shot at the feet of the JC keeper Kajay Johnson.
Shande James also had a chance to put his team ahead before the interval, arriving in the box unattended and being picked out by his captain Charlton, but his wild shot sailed over the crossbar.
Clarendon College took the momentum into the second half and took the lead just five minutes after the resumption.
Charlton made the most of a quick counter attack, driving down the left flank before firing passed a hapless Kajay Johnson from just inside the box, to make it 1-0.
The goal lifted the CC team who kept running at JC. They should have done better in a two on two situation, but substitute Chevon Bryan overran the ball at a key moment and the JC defence recovered.
Another substitute Raheem Stone saw his goal bound effort saved off the line by the feet of Johnson who went down with cramps after making the stop.
CC continued the hunt for a second goal and a chipped effort from James was tipped over the crossbar by Johnson who was being kept busy by the CC attackers. It was the first time that JC had come under such pressure in a long time and they were lucky to be only a goal down.
Clarendon College continued to produce chances which the failed to put away and almost paid the ultimate price. In the sixth and final minute of stoppage time Dawkins fired a grounder towards the corner of the goal but Williams came up with the save of the match, in a game of many brilliant saves, to deny JC and help his team beyond the first round for the very first time.
A quite pleased Lenworth Hyde was happy with the tactical discipline of his troops.
“I thought we were tactically disciplined today. As you know it was a very good JC team, they threw a lot of attacks at us from the start of the game so we were organized at the back of the field as you can see. We played to instructions, they worked hard, fight for 96 minutes and I must lift my hat to them. It is just one game, we have to celebrate tonight and then get ready for the next one.
“I think he is the man of the match,” Hyde said of his custodian Benjamin Williams. “He came up big for us and he is a very young chap, he has been here from two seasons ago.
“This is his first chance, first time in the goal for the season and I think he was excellent today. He commanded his box, everything in the air, he went for it, this is a quality goalkeeper going forward,” he concluded.
A deflated Miguel Coley admitted that his team were beaten by a hungrier team.
“The Clarendon College team wanted it more tonight. We missed a number of chances early on and then they got the go ahead goal. They stood up well defensively even up to the last minute when the goalkeeper denied Dawkins.”
Clarendon College will turn their attention to the DaCosta Cup in midweek before they face Excelsior High in the quarter finals of the Super Cup.
JC will now focus on the Manning Cup which resumes on Monday.
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