Calabar clip Wolmer’s in ‘hard-fought’ clash

A FIERCE clash at the Mico University College field resulted in a 2-1 win for Calabar High School over Wolmer’s Boys’ School yesterday in ISSA/WATA Manning Cup Zone E playoff-round action.

Franchesco Reid in the 30th minute and Dujaughn Martin in the 45th led the way for Calabar while Alex Wright’s strike in the 55th minute proved a consolation effort for the Wolmerians.

Calabar had thumped Wolmers 4-1 in the first meeting between the two team’s earlier in the first round.

However, Jeremy Miller, Calabar’s head coach, said he knew it would be a much closer affair when they faced off in the return game.

“It’s a hard-fought game, and I’m really proud of the boys because they went out there and they really fought,” he said.

“We knew it was not going to be the same game as the first leg. We knew Wolmer’s was going to come with something different, and they did, but I think the game plan that we executed really hampered what they wanted to do.”

Both teams were quick to settle into their styles of play as Calabar opted for a patient build-up while Wolmer’s were quick on the counter.

Wright had a golden opportunity to give Wolmer’s the lead in the 28th minute when he was left unmarked in the box, but the striker could not find the power to direct his header past the goalkeeper.

Calabar opened the scoring just two minutes later when Reid swung a looping ball into the net directly from the corner spot as Wolmer’s goalkeeper, Joel Williams, failed to collect.

Martin doubled Calabar’s lead just before the halftime whistle as Williams failed to collect another corner, this time handing Martin a free header at goal.

Jerome Waite, Wolmer’s head coach, said the goalkeeping errors proved costly for his team but chalked the mistakes up to inexperience.

“First and foremost, congratulations to Calabar and well-tried Wolmer’s,” he said. “It was a game of two halves in which we made two errors from set pieces.”

“But it’s not to kill our goalkeeper for those mistakes because it is a learning process, and it is a work in progress.”

The Wolmerians mounted a strong comeback in the second half and were rewarded with a goal as talisman Wright struck a ferocious one-time volley that caught goalkeeper Kimmar Brown off his line.

Calabar held strong for the remainder of the match and snatched all three points at the final whistle.

In the other Zone E game, Mona extended their perfect record as they drubbed Ascot 9-0.

Mona lead the way with 24 points, trailed by Calabar, 21, Wolmer’s, 15, and Ascot, 10.

With revenge on their mind, Jamaica College (JC) eased past Vauxhall High 4-0 in Zone B action.

JC came into the match with a point to prove after they were held to a 1-1 draw with Vauxhall in their earlier meeting.

St Andrew Technical High School picked up their third win on the bounce as they downed Camperdown 4-0.

In Zone A, defending champions Kingston College ran riot in the 4-0 thrashing of Haile Selassie.

St Catherine also remained perfect in Zone D, turning back Norman Manley 2-0, while Eltham High battered Campion College 6-1.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday’s Results

Wolmer’s 1-2 Calabar

Ascot 0-9 Mona

KC 4-0 Haile Selassie

JC 4-0 Vauxhall

Camperdown 0-4 STATHS

Norman Manley 0-2 St Catherine

Campion 1-6 Eltham