Leighton hat-trick helps Mona to emphatic win

National Under-20 player Sean Leighton scored a hat-trick to lead former champions Mona High to an emphatic 8-1 drubbing of Hillel in their ISSA Manning Cup encounter at Stadium East yesterday.

Leighton struck in the 30th, 43rd and 51st minutes to spearhead Mona’s dominant display, while Jermaine Morgan added a brace in the 68th and 77th minutes.

Franklyn Mitcham opened the scoring in the seventh minute, while Niquan Allen and Demario Brown added goals in the 53rd and 73rd minutes, respectively, for the Craig Butler-coached team. Christian Rosen netted Hillel’s consolation goal in the 72nd minute.

Mona ended the contest with 10 players after Nathaniel McCarthy received a straight red card for a reckless tackle in the 84th minute.

Butler was pleased with his team’s performance, saying it reflected the work they had been putting in during training.

“I think that we worked as a team because we have been working on stuff for the rest of the Manning Cup,” Butler said. “We understand Hillel; they are a developing team, and we had a chance to practise some of the things that we wanted today, so the boys did a great job.”

Hillel head coach Sean Fraser said the heavy defeat would provide valuable lessons for his players, particularly in terms of their mental preparation.

“It is lessons learnt, and kudos to Mona. They did well. They are a traditional school, and they have been playing well for the last couple of years, so I respect what they do,” Fraser said.

“But for my team, it was more mental than anything else. When they heard that they were on TV, a lot of them were a bit scared, but there is a lot to do mentally more than tactically.”

Mona started brightly and took the lead in the seventh minute when Mitcham’s tame right-footed effort from 18 yards slipped through the grasp of Hillel goalkeeper Ritz-Marcos Brooks and into the net.

Mitcham nearly doubled the advantage eight minutes later, but his close-range effort was well saved by Brooks. The Hillel goalkeeper was again called into action moments later, diving low to his right to keep out McCarthy’s powerful shot from 10 yards.

However, Brooks had no answer in the 30th minute when Leighton unleashed a thunderous 30-yard strike to double Mona’s lead.

Leighton grabbed his second in the 43rd minute, pouncing on a loose ball inside the penalty area before calmly slotting past Brooks to send Mona into the break with a comfortable 3-0 advantage.

The national Under-20 player completed his hat-trick a minute after the restart, arriving between two defenders in the centre of the penalty area before side-footing home.

Allen made it 5-0 in the 53rd minute after weaving past three defenders and finishing confidently beyond Brooks.

Morgan then added his first goal in the 68th minute before Rosen pulled one back for Hillel four minutes later.

Brown restored Mona’s six-goal cushion in the 73rd minute, and Morgan completed the scoring with his second goal four minutes later to cap a commanding performance by the former champions.

sports@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday’s Results

KC 3-0 St George’s

Bridgeport 0-4 Eltham

Manley 0-1 Excelsior

Holy Trinity 0-4 Calabar

Charlie 1-3 St Jago

Camperdown 0-1 JC

José Martí 0-5 St Catherine

Wolmer’s 3-0 Campion

Mona 8-1 Hillel