STATHS Head coach Phillip Williams (left) and Kingston College's Vassell Reynolds.
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Last year’s beaten finalists St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) and Kingston College secured an advantage over Kingston Technical and Campion College, as they registered contrasting victories in their respective first leg second round ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup fixtures at Jamaica College on Saturday.
STATHS with a clinical second half display, blanked Kingston Technical 4-0, courtesy of a brace from Richard Livingston (58th and 81st), with Leon Brown (58th) and Alexavier Gooden (88th), getting the others.
Kingston College had things much more difficult and had to come from behind to edge Campion College 3-2 in the feature contest of the double-header.
Tyler Falconer (21st) and Djas Less (25th) gave Campion a handy lead, but Demario Dailey (59th), O’Neil Bryan (83rd) and Robert Seow (90+3), responded for Kingston College.
After playing out a goalless first half in the curtain raiser, STATHS came to life on the resumption and found the go-ahead goal 13 minutes in when Livingston converted from the 12-yard spot, after Brown was felled by goalkeeper Jahiem Orr.
The Bumper Hall-based school continued to press and doubled the lead through Brown, who was on hand to slam home a loose ball from close range, his 14th goal of the season.
With Kingston Technical offering very little resistance, particularly in the latter stages, scoring got easier for STATHS and Livingston helped himself to another, as he skipped a defender and drove home a right-footed effort from just inside the 18-yard box.
Gooden then capped the win with a fine header that gave Orr no chance at a save.
The second contest between Campion College and Kingston College, was expected to be more competitive and lived up to its billing.
Campion took the lead against the run of play when a poor clearance by goalkeeper Malique Williams, went straight to Falconer, who made no mistakes.
Another poor attempt by Williams to gather the ball, allowed Less to tap the ball in at the far post, almost hurting himself in the process when he slammed into the upright.
Though down, Kingston College was not out, and they again found some momentum in the latter stages of the first half, and they maintained it after the break.
The North Street-based team made it count a minute to the hour mark through Dailey, who finished off an Otaivian Halloway pass with aplomb.
With that goal literally knocking the wind from Campion College’s sails, Kingston College went for broke, and Bryan put them back on level terms with a tidy finish from deep inside the 18-yard box.
Seow completed the comeback befitting of their motto “the brave may fall, but never yield,” with an easy tap in at the far post.
Winning coach Vassell Reynolds praised his team for the win.
“It was a tough one, we gave up two soft goals but it’s a part of the game. We asked the guys at half-time to dig in and in the end, fitness spoke, and we got three goals. It is a young and experience team, but we have asked them from the start of the season to always fight in a way that is of a Kingston College spirit, and they did that, so I am very proud of them,” Reynolds said in a post-game interview.
His counterpart Ashton Blankson also lauded his team but felt they were undone by a lack of fitness.
“I thought they got a little tired and the heads dropped, but we fought all the way to the end. We want to go back to playing our game which is the passing game, and we will see what happens (in the second leg) on Wednesday,” Blankson noted.
Saturday’s results
St Catherine 2, Wolmer’s Boys 0
Excelsior 0, Hydel 0
Jamaica College 3, Eltham 0
Mona 3, Jonathan Grant 0
Kingston College 3, Campion College 2
STATHS 4, Kingston Technical 0
St George’s College 2, St Jago 0
Haile Selassie 0, Tivoli High 0
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
Sporting CP boss Amorim apologises for holding West Ham talks
Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim has publicly apologised for holding talks with West Ham, who view the 39-year-old as a contender to replace David Moyes at the end of the season.
This week, widespread reports said Amorim had travelled to London for talks with the West Ham hierarchy, as they weigh up their options ahead of Moyes' contract expiring in June.
Moyes delivered the Europa Conference League trophy to the London Stadium last season but has long struggled to win over sections of the Hammers' fanbase, and a poor run of form has seen their hopes of European qualification fade in recent weeks.
Amorim, who led Sporting to the Primeira Liga crown in 2020-21 and looks likely to oversee another title triumph this term, has also been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool in the past.
He was roundly criticised for making the trip to London while still under contract, and on Saturday he admitted the visit was a mistake.
"So, let's get the elephant out of the room and I'll talk about it once," Amorim said in a press conference to preview Sunday's trip to Porto.
"The first thing is to say that the club was aware of my trip. It's important and changes the context.
"Then, let's talk about the 'cloak of secrecy' that surrounded the trip... I 'secretly' parked the car outside, secretly walked past 15 people and took photographs, then got on a plane behind the club's back.
"It didn't happen in secret or without permission. Obviously my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn't seem right at the time.
"It was wrong, especially when I'm so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one's actions can overpower the team. I have removed players from the squad for much less.
"It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it. It didn't seem so bad at the time but thinking about it later, it's very clear.
"Now it's time to move on. I apologise to the Sporting fans, the staff and, mainly, to my players for the mistake I made."
Wilder laments "complete lack of leadership" as Blades' relegation confirmed
Chris Wilder feels his Sheffield United side's "complete lack of leadership" has been a key factor in their relegation from the Premier League.
The Blades will be playing Championship football next term after a dismal one-season return to the Premier League in which they have won just three of their 35 league outings.
Sheffield United's 25th league defeat of the season confirmed their relegation as they were hammered 5-1 away at Newcastle United on Saturday despite Anel Ahmedhodzic putting them in front at St James' Park.
A drubbing ensued after Alexander Isak's leveller, and the final whistle condemned the Blades to the second tier with three games to spare.
In Wilder's view, the club needs to rectify a lack of on-field guidance if the Blades are to bounce straight back up, embodied by the tough outing at St James' Park.
Wilder told the BBC's Match of the Day. "There are plenty of games where we have been put to bed early but today we should have been 3-0 up at half-time. I'm scratching my head that it was 1-1.
"Newcastle up their game and get a head of steam. Then our old mistakes start to fall in and goals go from two to three to four to five pretty quickly.
"There's a reason why that happens. It's an incredibly young side and there is a complete lack of leadership out there. I thought at times I was going to have a heart attack in terms of trying to get the messages on."
Wilder acknowledged there could be tough times ahead for the club, though he hopes he retains the trust of the fans having been brought in for his second spell as Blades manager midway through the season following the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom.
"It's going to be a tough summer for everybody," Wilder continued. "We have not been good enough. The league has been too powerful for us right the way through the season.
"Sheffield United is a really good football club. I think everyone understands that but it's been a really poor season.
"I've still got another year left of my contract. I'd like to think that the supporters can trust me. I'm enthusiastic and committed along with my coaching staff to get it right. We know exactly what direction we need to go, what the culture is going to look like, what pre-season is going to look like."
Huddersfield Town all but relegated from Championship while League Two play-off fate is decided
Huddersfield Town saw their relegation all but confirmed after a 1-1 draw with fellows strugglers Birmingham City.
The Terriers avoided a defeat that would have seen them relegated on Saturday, but even a win on the final day over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town will not be enough unless they overcome a huge goal difference of 15 goals with Plymouth Argyle.
Birmingham remain in the other relegation place and now must beat Norwich City to stand a chance of staying up with Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Blackburn Rovers also still in danger.
At the other end of the table, the Canaries dropped points in a 2-2 draw with Swansea City, leaving the door open for Hull City, who face Ipswich Town later today.
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