BY ANTHONY FOSTER, Freelance Writer
St. George's College's Christopher Johnson (right) and Keibion Wright collide while challenging for the ball during the ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup match at Winchester Park, St. George's, yesterday. The game ended in a 0-0 draw. - RICARDO MAKYN
ST. GEORGE'S COLLEGE'S coach, Neville 'Bertis' Bell, blamed goalscoring as the reason for his team's first round exit from the 2005 ISSA-/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup school-boy football competition.
The North Street-based Light Blues needed to win their game against Waterford at Winchester Park yesterday to stay alive, but were held to a goalless draw.
"We had chances in every single game. I think this is the only game we have not scored a goal all season," he said.
"Even in this game we had two easy ones in the first half, a clear empty goal in the second half that we missed, and when you do that, you pay for it," Bell explained. "We are disappointed, yes we are definitely disappointed."
Bell said this is the second time he has coached a schoolboy team which did not make it out of the first round.
However, he added: "I think the Manning Cup is difficult to win. I think the coaches in Manning Cup are very good coaches, even though I don't think the standard of play is fantastic.
"I think tactically, a lot of strategies are being put in play and we have to give them credit for that."
Unlike St. George's, Waterford qualified, as the second place team from the school, and their coach, Everton James, said the season has just started for his boys.
"Now the football has begun. We had to test our mantle now because I realised that the high grass had an effect on them today, and it's possible we will meet more high grasses, so we will just have to regroup and come again (for the second round)," he said.
James said this is the first of a three-year plan to win the Manning Cup, as he is working with the Colts team from two years ago.
James said the draw came as a victory for his boys "...because we knew that if we came here and got a point then everything would be okay".
Regarding the game-plan, the coach of the Portmore-based school said:
"It was to pressure the opponent ... don't allow St. George's to score and play them on the counter."
WELL-SUPPORTED
Though no goals were scored, both Waterford and St. George's, who were well-supported by their fans beating drums and waving flags, got a number of chances.
Two of the game's best chances went to either side.
The first of the chances went to St. George's super sub Kemal Malcolm, who could not get a foot onto a well-directed low cross from the boots of Aaron Spence on the right flank.
Later in the second half, Waterford's best chance came when Taj Russell opted to pass instead of kicking to goal. Though the pass was a good one to Ricardo Bedward, from inside the six-yard he kicked high instead of along the ground.
A few other chances could have turned into goals, especially a header from St. George's Leonard Walker, which Waterford's keeper Peter Harrison had some problems with.
St. George's goalkeeper Jabari Wallace was also called on to make two very good saves, both shots from the boots of Conrad White, who tormented their defence.
Bell congratulated qualifiers Tivoli and Waterford.
"They came out of this group and we wish them good luck," he said.
The point Waterford picked up yesterday took them 14 points, two behind Tivoli (16), which had already qualified before yesterday's 4-0 win over Edith Dalton-James at Baldwin Crescent.
Jermaine Allen, who scored a hat-trick on Saturday, returned yesterday to hit a brace. Michael Spence and Winston Harris got Tivoli's other goals.
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