Kingston College finally got their 2013-2014 LIME/ISSA Manning Cup campaign underway on Friday with a 6-1 demolition of Penwood High at Cling Cling Oval, this after their previously scheduled game on Tuesday was not played due to match officials not showing up.
Kingston College finally got their 2013-2014 LIME/ISSA Manning Cup campaign underway on Friday with a 6-1 demolition of Penwood High at Cling Cling Oval, this after their previously scheduled game on Tuesday was not played due to match officials not showing up.
The ‘Purples’ started the game on the front foot against a clearly very young Penwood team but despite dominating possession found themselves behind after 16 minutes when Timothy Clunis gave his team the lead against the run of play. Penwood won a corner on the right and the Kingston College custodian, Obrian Duncan failed to connect properly with the cross. The ball fell kindly to Clunis who powered home at the far post to stun the travelling KC fans and send the home spectators into raptures.
Despite the one goal advantage, the home team still found the going tough as the North Street boys pressed for an equalizer. Surprising, equalizer came from centre half Jaziel Thompson who scored directly from a free kick in the 34th minute. KC were ahead just five minutes later when Savian Maxwell collected a pass on the left flank, cut inside and set himself before unleashing a powerful shot over the head of the diminutive Jahlani Bennett in the Penwood goal to make it 2-1.
The wind was knocked out of the Penwood sails before half time when Thompson got his second goal of the game. The powerfully built defender rose at the back post to send a bullet header into the net directly from a corner kick. That goal came on the stroke of half time.
Despite the 3-1 half time score line the KC team was not playing as well as they could.
The quick start by KC to the second half suggested that they had been given a strong talking to by coach Donovan Hayles. Thompson in the Penwood goal had to pull off a fantastic double save three minutes after the restart but could do nothing about the near post header from Romar Beckford from another corner kick in the 51st minute which made it 4-1.
Just eight minutes later Kyle Smith made it 5-1 with a brilliant solo effort down the right flank. The winger blazed past his marker before beating another defender and squeezed his effort in at the near post as KC threatened to run riot.
Seeing so many people around him scoring, KC skipper and striker Allan Morgan tried desperately to get his name on the score sheet but it was not to be his day. Midway through the half KC seemed to take their foot off the gas as the overpowered Penwood players who they dwarfed, failed to trouble the defense.
With the game getting flat, Hayles made two changes for KC which bore fruit. He injected Chevaun Blake and Rasheed Dawkins and they immediately lifted the pace of the match. Both players troubled the Penwood defenders and it was no surprise when Dawkins made it 6-1 in the 81st minute when he fought off the attention of his marker before slotting home.
Despite the score line, the performance of the Kingston College team will not drive fear into the more accomplished teams in the competition and they will have to lift their game significantly if they are to make a serious challenge for the title.
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