By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter
Norman Manley's Nicholas Hoshing (left) moves away from Calabar's Michail McAnuff during Manning Cup action yesterday at Calabar High School. Norman Manley won 2-0. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Norman Manley took a decisive step in the ISSA Pepsi/Sports Plus Manning Cup when they qualified for the second round yesterday.
The game was delayed by 25 minutes and during this time Norman Manley serenaded a jam-packed Calabar field with the latest dancehall lyrics and remained in tune for 90 minutes.
Calabar, on the other hand, could not hold a note and were outplayed by Norman Manley.
Reynard Thompson resonated Norman Manley's tune in the 73rd minute with a beautiful strike off a pass from captain Omar Longbridge. The tune got sweeter for Norman Manley when their "energy god", Kearn Binns, came on the field and gave the team the lift needed to secure three points. Beautiful teamwork between Binns and Longbridge resulted in the latter registering his goal in the 89th minute.
Calabar's overall game and hopes of advancing to the second round seemed to have succumbed to a one-man shortage as Conroy Cunningham received a red card in the 44th minute for violent conduct. Calabar had one hapless chance at goal in the entire second half and scarcely had possession.
"I am disappointed. Up until today we had a chance to go to the second round, had we won the game and collected three points and waited to see what would happen to the other teams. We had some easy games and we didn't score the goals so in the end we only can lick our wounds and blame ourselves," said Calabar's coach Lewin Williams.
Meanwhile, Norman Man-ley's coach Alrick Clarke was all smiles after the game and said he "mixed up" his team to find different offensive options.
