Calabar High School regained pole position in Zone D of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup following a 1-0 win over St Andrew Technical (STATHS) in a top-of-the-table clash at their Red Hills Road base on Saturday.

Jaheim Rankine got the all-important strike in the 34th minute to extend their unbeaten run across five matches and push Calabar up to 16 points, same as STATHS, who were relegated to second with a slightly inferior goal difference. Haile Selassie (nine points), Camperdown (seven points), Vauxhall (six points) and Kingston Technical (zero point) complete the standings.

Winning coach Andrew Price welcomed the character shown by his team on this occasion to overturn their first leg loss, as players occupied unfamiliar position.

“The players are resilient; we played today without two of frontline central defenders so we had to patch up the team today and people played in positions that they don’t normally play in. But we have a system that we have been playing for the entire season and once people fit into the system, then the team will play well and they showed some depth and character today to get the three points against a very good STATHS team,” Price said.

“I think we needed to be a bit more clinical in front of goal, but our strength is our defensive structure; we have only conceded two goals so far in the entire Manning Cup, which shows that we are very sound defensively, and we want to keep it that way. We are developing a football culture here at the school and we are going to continue to work diligently to ensure that we get some success along the line,” he added.

STATHS started more purposefully and created a few half chances in the early exchanges as the teams battled heavy underfoot conditions due to afternoon showers.

The Bumper Hall-based team should have broken the deadlock approaching the 20th minute mark but Ajetai Marshall muffed his effort from close range.

Calabar got into their rhythm and went close to finding the lead at the half-hour mark, but Rankin’s left-footed shot from a distance was parried by Jaheem Williams in goal for STATHS.

It is often said if you fail to succeed try again, and Rankine did just that to put Calabar in front as he released an even more delightful strike from about 30 yards out that had Williams beaten all ends up.

Calabar went close to doubling their advantage in 41st, but Williams got down well to his right on this occasion to steer Jayden Perry’s left-footed shot from outside the 18-yard box wide.

With the score unchanged at the break, STATHS made a push for the equaliser but failed to create any meaningful chances, and frustration inevitably set in, resulting in Alexavier Gooden being sent off for a second yellow in the 54th.

The numerical advantage created a few openings for Calabar, the best of which came in the 61st Rankine, who rounded the goalkeeper but selfishly went for shot from a tight angle instead of floating a cross in for Perry.

As the game approached its end, substitute Christiano Brown thought he stole a point for STATHS when she slid one through the goalkeeper’s legs, but the goal was belatedly flagged for an offside.

That left Head coach Phillip Williams disgusted as he called out the officiating as the worst part of the encounter.

“It is unfortunate that ISSA has invested so much and the schools have invested so much and the poor officiating just takes away from the game. I think that was the worst thing today; both teams played some decent football but the officiating needs to be better.

“I think what we didn’t do today was score, we have a style of football that we play and we played that today even when we went down a man but referees need to be better in Jamaica, they are very poor,” a disappointed Williams said.

Saturday’s Manning Cup Results

Calabar 1, STATHS 0

Dunoon Park 0, Eltham 0

Ardenne High 0, Hydel High 8

Ascot High 0, Jamaica College 5

Excelsior High 15, Pembroke Hall 0

Holy Trinity 0, St George’s College 5

Camperdown 0, Vauxhall 0

Saturday’s daCosta Cup Results

Munro 0, Maggotty 0

Manchester 1, Belair 0

Glenmuir 4, Old Harbour 0

Ocho Rios 8, Ferncourt 1

Anchovy 1, Green Island 2

McGrath 0, Dinthill 0

Maldon High 4, St James 1

Irwin High 1, Cornwall College 4

Green Pond 5, Herbert Morrison 2

Grange Hill 0, Godfrey Stewart 1

Mannings 6, Little London 0

Muschett 0, Cedric Titus 13

Spot Valley 0, William Knibb 0

Happy Grove 2, Morant Bay 0

Tacius Golding 0, Charlemont 3

Cross Keys 1, DeCarteret College 5

Newell 0, Lacovia 1

B.B Coke 1, STETHS 3

Claude McKay 0, Clarendon College 7

Central 2, Edwin Allen 1

Knockalva 0, Frome Tech 8

Cambridge 1, Rusea’s High 3