By Charmaine Austin, Staff Reporter 
MICHAEL SLOLEY, Freelance Photographer - Cumberland's captain Michael Johnson (standing) looks at his downed goalkeeper Johnie Carneighie who failed to stop one of many St George's College goals last Monday. Cumberland were walloped 12-0 in that game.
MISERABLE IS an understatement for the kind of start that St. Catherine team Cumberland has had since its debut in the Manning Cup football competition this season.
The other new team, Innswood, also from St. Catherine, has been racking up victory after victory but for Cumberland, things seem to be going from bad to worse - a 5-1 loss to Edith Dalton James, 2-0 to Trench Town and 12-0 to St George's College.
Coach, Sheldon Morrison, is naturally disappointed and hopes the side will quickly heal from the afflictions of injury and indiscipline.
"A lot of the players are injured plus we have a problem with discipline within the team," Morrison said.
"Everybody wants to be a star and when one person starts playing alone, the whole team falls apart. They are just schoolboys competing and having fun so the pressure is not really necessary but it would be nice if they made a real effort," he said.
"We did our best to play as a team in the Trench Town game and conceded only two goals so if we're going to lose, that kind of result is not too bad. But 12 goals are a lot. It's like we weren't even in the game," he said.
The results, he says, can be better.
"The results can be better. It's just cold feet at this level. We have been very unsettled at the start of our games and the opposing teams realise this from early and score on us. After one or two goals the players seem to give up not realising that the game don't finish yet and then we end up with a disappointing result," Morrison said.
As for the discipline, "we're working on it," Morrison said.
As confirmed by a teacher at the school, a large number of the students currently attending Cumberland were expelled from other institutions.
Morrison declined to admit or deny whether or not this may be a factor but is optimistic things will change as the season progresses.
"We don't guarantee that we will win but we will certainly try our best. This is a learning experience for us and we intend to learn as much as possible because we'll be back next year for sure."
Most of the other teams in the competition have at least 10 balls while Cumberland has three. "No big thing," Morrison says.
"That and a dream will get them there. If dem puncture then we just patch them and gwaan juggle but we will be back."
