Wednesday, September 11, 2024

ASHLEY ANGUIN STAR Writer H EAD coach Paul ‘Tegat’ Davis was a happy man at the final whistle yesterday after Rusea’s High came from behind to score a 3-1 win over Cambridge High in their ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup Zone B opening match. “I think this win can make them grow. It is our first game and you need to win your first game, especially at home. Maybe this win can give the players a boost because we going on the road Saturday. It is nice to see us win our first game,” Davis told STAR Sports. “It will take time for them to adjust to my style of football versus what they had last year. In the last 25 minutes they blended the two and started playing the type of football we wanted them to play,” he added. Meanwhile, Garrett Dennis, coach of Cambridge High, said they were set back after a red card was shown to one of his top players. “Once Rusea’s equalised, they gained some confidence. That pushed us back and then in the second half the loss of one of our players to a red card pushed us back even more,” Dennis stated. “We are a team on the rise and we are going to perform this season and get better.” Cambridge went in front after five minutes, courtesy of Jayr Moore. Rusea’s Damar Sailman then put his team in charge with a fine hat-trick. He levelled the score in the 11th minute then put them in front in the 73rd and completed the scoring in the 87th minute. Midway the second half the game was disrupted when two players were sent off in the 65th minute. Goalscorer Moore of Cambridge and Rushaun Burt of Rusea’s got involved in a tussle then exchanged slaps to the face and they were both ejected. With both teams with 10 players each Rusea’s looked the more comfortable and Sailman struck to hit home his second goal. Then with three minutes to go he headed home a cross to seal the game. YESTERDAY’S RESULTS: Central 4 Lennon 1 Cedric Titus 6 Holland 0 Christiana 0 Alphansus Davis 0 Little London 2 Godfrey Stewart 0 Muschett 0 William Knibb 3 Spot Valley 5 Discovery Bay 2 Dinthill 12 Tacius Golding 0 Maggotty 0 STETHS 1 Knockalva 1 Anchovy 3 Mount St Joseph 1 May Day 0 Green Island 1 Frome 2 Happy Grove 10 Robert Lightbourne 0 deCarteret College 0 Belair High 4 Edwin Allen 3 Claude McKay 0 23 THE STAR SPORTS • Wednesday, September 11, 2024 @JamaicaStar www.facebook.com/JamaicaStar • www.jamaica-star.com GREGORY BRYCE Staff Reporter S t George’s College (STGC) were in cruise control in their opening game of the ISSAManning Cup as they blanked Holy Trinity High 2-0 at Winchester Park yesterday. Goals by Matthew Spence and Payton Larmond proved the difference between the two as STGC controlled much of the proceedings throughout. STGC assistant coach Marcel Gayle said while he believed the team could have been more assertive on the ball, it is a positive start to their campaign which he believed will improve as the season goes along. “Kudos to the guys, I thought they played well but I thought we could have been a little more assertive today in the final third. We created a lot of opportunities and the opponents sat deep and tried to force us to go long with the ball,” he commented. “We could have been a little more patient today but nevertheless, it is a start in the first round and the objective was met with three points and the clean sheet.” The hosts opened the scoring in the opening 10 minutes of the game as Spence showed his composure in front of goal and bagged his first of the season to the roar of the STGC faithfuls. They attempted to press their advantage but found their efforts stymied by a disciplined Holy Trinity backline. STGC, however, sealed the win just past the hour mark. Spence’s mistimed control in the box fell into the path of Larmond who made no mistake with a half volley across the face of the goal. Despite the defeat Holy Trinity’s coach Delano Campbell applauded his team’s effort. He said several of his players are eligible to play in the under-16 competition so he was impressed with their defensive discipline against a strong STGC outfit. “There are a lot of positives as 90 per cent of our team are registered ‘Colts’ players. We started this programme from last year and coming here against semi-finalists like St George’s at home, tactically the boys were really disciplined. “Yeah we lost the game and that’s something we have to accept but it is the first game of the season so we’re looking to build again next time.” In other games, Hydel High and Jamaica College (JC) recorded identical 9-0 wins. Hydel dismissed Ardenne High 9-0 to take early supremacy in Zone A while a Giovanni Taylor’s hat-trick led the way in JC’s 9-0 drubbing of Pembroke Hall High. Clan Carthy High got the better of Eltham High 5-0 to open their season with a win while the fixture between Norman Manley High and St Catherine High was called off due to an unprepared field. The game was counted as a forfeit in the favour of St Catherine High who were awarded an automatic 3-0 victory. STGC cruise to 2-0 win over neighbours Holy Trinity Rusea’s too good for Cambridge St George’s College’s Terelle Green (centre) dribbles past Holy Trinity’s Oniel Wilson (left) during their ISSA/WATA Manning Cup encounter at Winchester Park yesterday. Looking on is Trinity’s Okeno Howard. A ntoine L odge Rusea’s High players celebrate after they scored against Cambridge High during their ISSA/WATA Zone B daCosta Cup match at Collin Miller Sports Complex yesterday. A shLey A nguin