St George's, XLCR in exciting draw

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Title hopefuls St George's College and Excelsior High yesterday played to an exciting 2-2 draw in their top-of-the-table Group E Manning Cup match at Winchester Park.

The duo, who are both hoping to win the group and as such secure an automatic berth to the Walker Cup Knockout play-offs, traded punches for all of the 90 minutes and at the end of it all, both kept their impressive unbeaten records intact after five outings.

In other results, Charlie Smith dished out the biggest margin of victory so far this season, drubbing Tarrant 16-0, Calabar were held 2-2 by last year's beaten semi-finalists, Waterford; Spanish Town got the better of Tivoli 3-2, Dunoon clipped Camperdown 4-3, Norman Manley tagged Campion 3-1, Ascot edged Pembroke Hall 3-2, while it was 1-1 between the slightly improving St Mary's College and Donald Quarrie.

At Winchester Park, spectators were treated to a free-flowing game with both teams trying to put the ball on the ground and passing it around.

Excelsior took the lead in the fourth minute through Valentino Fogo who, left unmarked in the box, rose high to head in a square past ' Light Blues' goalkeeper, Jevaughn Lennon.

This, however, did not dampen the spirits of the home team and buoyed by the vociferous and expectant home supporters, they were able to pull level in the 31st minute when Kemar Cummings, lurking idle in the area, capitalised on a failed attempt to gather the ball by Excelsior custodian, Chevron Brown, to fire into an inviting net.

Motivated

Motivated by the effort and their singing supporters, the 'Georgians' then swept into the lead in the 38th minute when standout forward, Kemal Malcolm, let fly a screaming free kick from 20 yards out which, after trimming the grass, nestled in the net.

The attack and counter-attacking plays which surrounded the tactical manoeuvres of head coaches Leebert Halliman (Excelsior) and Neville Bell (St George's) then continued in the second half, with Excelsior going close in the 51st through substitute Juvanne Benjamin, and St George's in the 54th through Shammar Shelton, brother of national striker, Luton.

Benjamin, given room to shoot inside the box, blasted his effort high, while Shelton, after showing good dribbling skills, booted wide from a close, but acute angle.

The all-important equaliser was scored in 58th minute through another Excelsior substitute, Deco Bratt, who from just inside the area, fired a grounded shot, which squeezed between Lennon and his near post.

"I though we played well in the first half and had it not been for a soft goal in the second, we could have come out on top," said a smiling Bell. "It's a result where you can't really complain as both teams played well.

"My only concern is that we are defending as well as we are capable and are still conceding goals. Hopefully as we progress, we can correct that," he added.

Halliman, who is one of the co-ordinators of the national Under-20 team, shared similar sentiments regarding the outcome, but said with a few corrections his team could have done better.

"It was an entertaining game as both teams played good football," he explained. "But its early days for us as we are a young team and with more matches to come we hope to iron out deficiencies and play much better."

Yesterday's Results

Group A

Spanish Town 3 Tivoli 2

Norman Manley 3 Campion1

Charlie Smith 16 Tarrant 0

Group B

Calabar 2 Waterford 2

St Mary's College 1 Donald Quarrie 1

Ascot 3 Pembroke Hall 2

Group E

St George's 2 Excelsior 2

Dunoon 4 Camperdown 3

Greater Portmore 3 Ardenne 1

Today's Matches

Group C

Vauxhall vs Mona

Jonathan Grant vs Denham Town

Wolmer's Boys vs Jamaica College

Group D

St Jago vs Eltham

Bridgeport vs Jose Marti

Cumberland vs Innswood

Group F

Kingston High vs Edith Dalton James

Penwood vs Kingston College

St Catherine vs St Andrew Technical