Clarendon College continued their impressive vein of form, as they booked a spot in a second final for the season with a 2-0 win over Hydel High in the ISSA Champions Cup all-island knockout tournament semi-finals at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Tuesday.

The reigning daCosta Cup champions, who will defend their rural area crown against Clarendon neighbours Glenmuir High, are well and truly on course to secure the coveted triple crown, as they now wait their opponents for the Champions Cup showpiece.

Clarendon College’s ever-reliable and prolific front man Keheim Dixon, again did the damage for Chapelton-based team with a brace in the 19^th and 87^th minutes.

Though in the perfect position to achieve the triple feat, Clarendon College’s Head coach Lenworth “Teacha” Hyde downplayed their ambitions.

“The boys definitely went out and had fun, especially the first half, we had an excellent first half, but I didn’t like the second half because they brought back Hydel in the game. However, even when Hydel had their moments, we defended well, and our goalkeeper came up big today also. So, it was a nice performance, I wanted more but what they give me at this stage of the season, I’ll take it,” Hyde said in a post-game interview.

“We are working, so when the next match come, we will deal with it. I don’t talk about triple crown I am just playing the games as they come along,” he added.

With both teams coming of penalty shootout victories in their respective daCosta Cup and Manning Cup semi-finals encounters, the physical and mental toughness of both teams were expected to be tested, and so it was.

Both teams were spirited at the start, but it was Hydel finding that signalled intentions first when Dontae Brooks broke into a one-on-one situation with Roshae Burrell in goal for Clarendon College, but the goaltender came up trumps with a big save to deny the attacker.

Clarendon College took heed and replied with a flurry of attacks of their own, the best of which came in the 19th when Dixon slotted home from just inside the 18-yard box, after Deandre Gallimore’s initial effort came back off the crossbar.

They almost doubled the lead four minutes later as Dixon’s shot from deep inside the box, was charged down and Jahmelle Ashley’s attempt from the resulting corner was cleared off the line.

Hydel enjoyed a decent passage of play in the latter stages of the half, but their hunt for the elusive equalizer proved fruitless at that point, as Clarendon College went to the break 1-0 up.

With their backs against the wall, Hydel came out pressing on the resumption and had a few opportunities to claw their way back into the contest, the best of which came in the 65^th. This, when Omario Henry rounded Burrell, but failed to make it count.

From there, Clarendon College once again took charge of proceedings and inevitably found a second when Christopher Hull played provider for Dixon, who rifled right-footer past Kingston College’s goalkeeper Tajarie Lee for his 27^th goal of the season.

Hydel’s Head coach Devon Anderson rued defensive errors which proved their undoing.

“The team that made the least mistake came out the winner. We made two critical mistakes in front of goal, and we paid, so credit to Clarendon, it was a hard-fought battle, we threw some punches, and we gave our best. So, we will lick our wound and then get ready for the Manning Cup (final),” Anderson said.

Hydel High will meet Mona High in the final of the ISS/Digicel Manning Cup following a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Kingston College (KC), after both teams played out a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time at Sabina Park on Friday.

Hydel found themselves 2-0 up at halftime, thanks to goals from Keyanni Jackson (3^rd) and Omario Henry (23^rd), but Kingston College fought back in the second half and managed to force the game into penalties, thanks to strikes from Damaine Smith (51^st) and Alex Hislop (70^th).

However, Hydel maintained their composure best during the shootout and converted all five 12-yard kicks, while Kingston College’s Kimani Reece had his effort saved by custodian Tajarie Lee, who was a member of the North Street-based team last season.

This will be Hydel’s second ever time contesting the urban area showpiece, following their feat in 2012, while Mona is making their first ever final. It is also the first time since 2016, a school apart from Kingston College, Jamaica College and St George’s College, will be crowned.

The final is set for Saturday December 8 at the National Stadium.

Winning coach Devon Anderson was over the moon about the accomplishment, having previously tried and failed with Holy Trinity.

“Words cannot express my feeling, as one spectator said, ‘coach you have been knocking at the door over the years.’ It is now cracked, and we intend to open it, so this is a joyous day for the Hydel family.

“Not a lot of people gave us a chance, but I believed in the boys, and they believed in what we are trying to do, and it paid off. We know Mona is a very good team, but hydel will come and do what Hydel does, grind very hard,” Anderson said in a post-game interview.

It was a frantic start by Hydel, who made their intentions clear with a few quick warning shots, before they eventually found the target in the third minute.  Jackson was allowed too much space to dribble, and he duly obliged by driving home a right-footer from about 20 yards out.

With that being Jackson’s eighth goal of the season, Henry went on the hunt for his and should have had it in the sixth minute when he executed a delightful first touch to a long pass from the back, but the finish lacked the same quality, as it sailed over the crossbar.

But Henry made amends in the 23^rd, when he rounded a defender and rifled a right-footer from an angle Malique Williams, in goal for Kingston College.

Sitting pretty on a two-goal lead, Hydel got somewhat complacent on the resumption, and paid for the drop in tempo when a poor clearance found Smith, who drove home a left-footed effort.

And Kingston College pulled level 19 minutes later through Hislop, who picked up a pass and slotted home and it took the dreaded penalty shootout to decide a winner.

Kingston College’s Head coach Vassell Reynolds was pleased with his team’s effort despite the outcome.

“We started a little too slow, which is something we spoke about before and it happened again here and we never recovered quite well, but I am proud of the boys and the way they fought to come back from two goals down and lose on penalty. We still have the semi-finals of Champions Cup, so let us hope we do better there,” Reynolds said.

As the battle for top spot in the highly competitive Group A continues, Hydel High positioned themselves well for an ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup second round berth, after coming from behind to edge Calabar High 2-1 at Red Hills Road on Saturday.

Not only did the win propel Hydel ahead of Calabar on goal difference, with both sitting on 12 points behind leaders Kingston College (18 points), but the manner in which it came, added impetus to their ambitions that they can challenge for the title.

Omario Henry (29th) and D’Sean Henry (73rd), with his fifth goal of the season, saw the Ferry-based team –which ended with 10 players after Kailand Smith picked up a second yellow in the 56^th minute –to the points. Isaac Clarke (15th) gave Calabar an early lead.

Winning coach Devon Anderson was delighted by the grit and character demonstrated by his team.

“It was a hard-fought game, we went down to 10 players, but we didn’t panic because I know the ability of the kids and I know we could have pulled it off. We started the season with a goal to win the Manning Cup and no matter how difficult it seems that goal hasn’t changed, but we take it one game at a time,” Anderson said in a post-match interview.

Despite falling behind when Clarke’s shot from a distance somehow eluded the goalkeeper, Hydel continued to show purpose and eventually found the equalizer when D’Sean Henry broke down the right channel and played a cross in for Omario Henry to finish.

The score remained unchanged at the break and Calabar, like they did at the start, were more spirited on the resumption and seemed well poised for victory when Smith was given marching orders.

However, the Red Hills Road boys failed to make the numerical advantage count on home soil and later paid the price when D’Sean Henry on the break, lobbed a left-footed effort over the head of the advancing keeper, who left his line and was caught in no man’s land.

Try as they did, Calabar couldn’t find the elusive equalizer which left their Head coach Andrew Price, somewhat disappointed.

“I think we gave up an opportunity to collect all three points, the game was decided on a goalkeeping error, but these are young players so they will learn. We are not going burden them with too much pressure we just have the get it right the next time. I think we gave as much as we got from this Hydel team so, all in all, it was a good game and it will serve us well for the rest of the season,” Price shared.

Saturday’s results

Calabar 1, Hydel 2

Jose Marti 0, Campion College 1

Waterford 0, St George’s College 3

Ascot High 0, St Jago 4