Golden Gooden takes Wolmers to Super Cup Glory

Photo: ISSA/FLOW Super Cup Champions 2016 – Wolmers’ Boys receives the trophy from Vive President of Marketing and Television at FLOW – Carlo Redwood (centre of picture) after they defeated Cornwall College 1-0 courtesy of a 90th minute striker from their hitman Alphanso Gooden at Sabina Park on Saturday night.

A composed strike from their leading goal scorer Alphanso Gooden in the 90^th minute of play, gave Wolmers’ Boys a magnificent 1-0 victory over favourites Cornwall College in the final of the ISSA/FLOW Super Cup competition at Sabina Park on Saturday night.

Playing in front of an almost capacity crowd, the two teams displayed tenacity and grit as they hunted glory in a pulsating game of football, in the premier schoolboy football knockout competition. It was the first time in the short history of the competition that a DaCosta Cup team was playing in the final and there were huge expectations on the shoulders of the boys from the second city.

With the game being played virtually in their back yard the wily Vassell Reynolds changed his usual game plan of playing behind the ball, surprising many as Wolmers started the game on the front foot, pushing back their opponents and dominating the early exchanges.

Wolmers could have been ahead with just about two minutes played, but the fresh air shot by their captain Jahwani Hinds, who swung at the ball inside the six yard box and missed badly following a corner kick, showed why he is used at the back and not up front.

The Boys from Heroes Circle continued to press their opponents and Mickel Graham scraped the paint off the outside of left upright of Jamario Hines’s goal in the 16^th minute as Wolmers came within centimetres of taking the lead.

Cornwall slowly worked their way into the contest and a dangerous in-swinging corner kick from Jourdine Fletcher had Shamar Jamieson punching to safety before the Wolmers keeper watched another left foot curler from the prolific striker, go inches over his crossbar.

Both teams were going at it and the always dangerous Yonnick Elliott almost gave Wolmers the lead from a brilliant counterattacking move. He turned his first marker brilliantly down the right side before outpacing the advancing centre half, but his shot which went across the face of the goal was just beyond the far post.

Ten minutes before the break Fletcher turned on a dime and got off a quick shot through a sea of legs and Jamieson had to react smartly to keep the ball out of the net, diving to his right to produce a fine save.

At the other end, Elliott again had another chance to put his team ahead when he took the ball out the air, but his left footed effort went wide of the post.

Nil-all at the half time break and no one the wiser as to whom would be the third champions of the Super Cup.

The horns were blaring as the volume reached maximum levels inside the stadium when the teams returned for second half action. Just as they did in the first half, Wolmers spurned another opportunity two minutes after the restart when Graham had a guilt edged chance to score, but somehow managed to drag his effort wide from almost dead centre of the goal.

From then on Cornwall went on the front foot, and were it not for the brilliance of Jamieson would have run riot over their opponents in the second stanza.

Fletcher produced a free kick from about 24 yards that had swerve and dip and the Wolmers custodian did brilliantly well to save, diving to his left and producing a strong wrist to punch the ball away.

A few minutes later it was Fletcher v Jamieson again, the Wolmers keeper going to his right this time to effect yet another magnificent save from another brilliant free kick that was bound for the bottom right hand corner of the net.

The fans of Cornwall College had packed into the George Headley Stand, the end to which Cornwall was kicking and they were in a state of delirium as they anticipated the game’s opening goal. The noise was so loud you couldn’t hear yourself think. They willed on their players to score but when Peter Lee Vassell, who had had a less than an impactful game, pulled up lame, some of their attacking thrust went with him.

Fletcher meanwhile, who had put his team on his back, broke down the right flank before cutting in onto his favourite left foot, but watched in agony as his shot went just wide of the far post.

Cornwall raided their opponent’s goals in waves but the Wolmers defence stood tall as the central defensive pair of Scott Williams and Jahwani Hinds showed just why their team is regarded as the best defensive unit in schoolboy football.

A rare Wolmers attack in the 75^th minute, resulted in a shot from distance by Andrew Daley but Hines saw it all the way and effected an easy, chest high save.

Having done all the pressing in the second half, the Cornwall legs started to go and suddenly, Daley and company started having more time and space on the ball. Wolmers went on the attack and started to probe the Cornwall defence.

And just as they have done all season, Wolmers fashioned another goal almost out of nothing.

Moments after the 4^th official had signalled four minutes of stoppage time, Gooden who had been a mere spectator in the attacking end, drove towards goal with the ball at his feet before unleashing a powerful grounder that found its way into the right corner of the net.

Cue massive celebrations from the Wolmers fans, they were now within touching distance of a famous victory.

The “Heroes of Heroes Circle” were able to see out the stoppage time minutes and write their names in the history books as the third winners of the ISSA/FLOW Super Cup competition.

“I am very elated…more so for the players and the entire management and coaching staff, for the parents and for the entire Wolmers community,” said a very emotional Reynolds about lifting the trophy for the very first time. “I thought the lads went out there and did themselves and the Wolmers community very proud tonight.”

Speaking of his change in tactics, Reynolds said “We decided from the outset that we would go on the front foot and push them (Cornwall College) back and I thought we did that very well for the entire first half. The beginning of the second half, the first 20-25 minutes Cornwall really pushed us back but I really knew then that I would have to rely on my defence and the keeper came up trumps.

“We sat back a little too deep and gave them too much room to operate from and it could have cost us but our keeper came up big for us. We got the all-important goal at the right time,” he concluded.

The tournament MVP Shamar Jamieson said it meant a lot to win the tournament.

“It means much to me, I went to two semi-finals before I reach to the finals, so it means much to me.”

It was third time lucky for a Wolmers team that has knocked on the door of this competition from day one. They will now have one week to prepare for a Manning Cup semi-final against Kingston College with whom they have so far split a season series at 1-1.