Mona High better STATHS in dramatic penalty shootout to set up Walker Cup final against Excelsior
Mona High may have relinquished their Manning Cup crown, but they are now one step away from redemption after a tense 4-3 penalty shootout victory over St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) in the ISSA Walker Cup Knockout semi-finals at the Stadium East Field on Thursday.
A 1-1 deadlock after regulation time, played under soggy conditions due to persistent rain, set the stage for the nail-biting finish that booked Mona a December 6 showdown against Excelsior High, who earlier secured a 2-0 win over Wolmer’s Boys in their contest.
Keeno Levy’s own goal gave Mona a 43rd-minute lead, but Alexavier Gooden’s 90th-minute freekick kept STATHS hopes alive until the dreaded penalties.
While it was not the title that they wanted to play for, Mona’s coach Dane Peralto praised his team’s resilience and welcomed the opportunity to possibly add the Walker Cup to their trophy cabinet.
“It was a gritty performance; the conditions didn’t allow us to play the ball as well as we would like to, but we showed some composure, especially when we were kicking the penalties. Winning a title is always a good thing; this Walker Cup was never our end game, but we are in it to try to win something at least, so we will definitely go for it,” Peralto said in a post-game interview.
The match began on a cautious note, with both sides struggling to adjust to the heavy underfoot conditions. STATHS nearly seized an early lead when JLoyd Smith unleashed a long-range rocket in the eighth minute, but Mona’s goalkeeper, Riquelme Edwards, pulled off a stunning acrobatic save to deny him.
Mona grew into the game and went close in the 38th minute when Denzel McKenzie’s curling free kick rattled the crossbar.
However, fortune smiled on the dethroned champions five minutes later. A mix-up between STATHS goalkeeper Jaheem Thomas and defender Levy resulted in the latter inadvertently steering the ball into his own net while attempting to clear, giving Mona a 1-0 lead at the break.
The second half was a scrappy affair, with chances hard to come by as the soggy pitch hampered fluid play. Mona’s Demarion Harris had the best opportunity in the 64th minute, breaking through the defence to unleash a powerful right-footed strike that Thomas expertly parried.
Just as Mona seemed poised to see out the game, STATHS found a lifeline in the dying moments of regulation time. Gooden stepped up and fired a free kick from just over 20 yards out through Mona’s four-man wall and past a helpless Edwards to level the score and force the game into penalties.
The penalty shootout as expected was dramatic, but Mona displayed composure under pressure, converting four of their five spot-kicks through Carlton Brown, Robino Gordon, Dante Peralto, and Cameron Sailsman. Denzel McKenzie’s effort, however, was saved.
For STATHS, Gooden, Howard Linton, and Delaney White found the back of the net, but Smith’s attempt clanged off the crossbar, and Ajetai Marshall’s kick was saved by Edwards.
STATHS’ Head coach Phillip Williams lauded his players, though the loss was a bitter pill to swallow.
“It’s the lottery, and we can’t do anything about it; it is about nerves, but I think the guys did well today. The underfoot condition played a factor, but the boys gave their best,” he stated.
Sherdon Cowan
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
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Saints go marching in: St Catherine High to contest first-ever Manning Cup final after penalty shootout win over Jamaica College
St Catherine High School will contest their first-ever ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup final, as they prevailed 5-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout against many-time champions Jamaica College (JC) at the National Stadium on Tuesday.
In a game defined by determination and resilience, the teams played out a tense 1-1 draw in regulation time before the St Johns Road-based school held their nerve from 12 yards to edge past their storied opponents.
Romaine Walters (11th) for St Catherine and Nashordo Gibbs (40th) for Jamaica College got the goals in open play.
The victory was met with jubilation from the St Catherine camp as players, staff, and supporters celebrated their school’s historic feat, which left an almost emotional Head coach, Anthony Patrick, at a loss for words.
For Patrick, it was not just a victory over one of the competition’s giants but a testament to their grit, belief, and teamwork throughout the season.
“Words alone can’t explain how I feel. I must say kudos to the youngsters because they fought hard and dug deep. I must also laud our goalkeeper [Omarion Brown]. He came up big for us, and we know once it gets to penalties, it will work out in our favour. We asked them to stick behind the ball and force Jamaica College to play the long ball so our goalkeeper can come into play because we know once it got to penalties, it would be difficult for them,” Patrick said post-match.
St Catherine began brightly and took an early lead in the 11th minute when Walters calmly converted a penalty after Gentles' shot struck the hand of Jamaica College’s defender Javaun Mills inside the box. The goal marked Walters’ third of the season and gave his team the momentum, despite Jamaica College dominating the early exchanges.
However, the lead did little to deflate Jamaica College, who quickly regrouped and pushed for an equalizer. Their relentless probing eventually paid off in the 40th minute when Giovanni Taylor delivered a precise pass across the box for Nashordo Gibbs to tap home from close range.
Jamaica College almost took the lead on the stroke of halftime when Gibbs broke free and crossed for Taylor, who squandered the opportunity, as the score remained unchanged at the break.
On the resumption, Jamaica College had opportunities to win the contest but failed to find the decisive breakthrough due to a combination of faulty shooting, poor decision-making, and good glove work by Omarion Brown in goal for St Catherine.
In fact, their best chance to steal victory came in the 87th minute when Jamoy Dennis found himself in behind the defence with time and space but somehow fired his effort wide, much to the relief of St Catherine’s supporters.
St Catherine then delivered a flawless display from the spot, with Walters, Nathel Ellis, Dwight Gentles, Josh Reid, and Kadean Young all converting their kicks.
Jamaica College, the tournament’s most successful team, saw Dontae Logan, Dyllan John, and Javaun Mills find the back of the net. However, the pivotal moment came when Jahmarly Bennett’s effort cannoned off the crossbar, sealing the Old Hope Road school’s fate.