By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter
Dunoon teammates celebrate after their victory over STATHS in Manning Cup action yesterday at Tinson Pen. Dunoon won 2-1. - Carlington Wilmot /Freelance Photographer
IT WAS high drama in the ISSA Pepsi/Sports Plus Manning Cup competition as Dunoon made a late surge to beat St. Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) 2-1 at the Tinson Pen field yesterday.
In a game which seemed to cram 90 minutes worth of action in the final 15 minutes, the game initially went in STATHS favour with Jermaine 'Unga' Siddo scoring in the 73rd minute. Siddo found the back of the net after two attempts by his teammate Claude Darling were blocked in the six-yard box.
Emphatic celebrations began among the STATHS fans but it was to be short-lived as Dunoon's Sanjay Christie found the equaliser in the 88th minute with a desperation kick which slipped past goalkeeper Vernan Vaughn.
Just as STATHS were preparing themselves to settle for a draw, Hewit McKenzie came off the bench in about the 80th minute to stun STATHS with a late goal in added time (90 + 2). McKenzie's winner created a frenzy among Dunoon supporters and plunged STATHS, as was evident by the players laying face down on the field, into deep gloom.
Dunoon's assistant coach, Stanford Patrick, credited the win to the hard work his team did over the holiday weekend.
"After the meeting with ISSA on Thursday, we decided to get focussed over the Heroes holiday when we figured STATHS were resting - and it paid off, our Heroes Day is today," a pleased Patrick stated.
"When STATHS scored we knew we had to score two goals. We had two people on the bench and we decided to bring them on and tell them they were going to change the game for us and so said, so done." Patrick said.
STATHS' coach, Wayne Fairclough, who seemed stunned after the game, said that a complete concentration lapse in the final minutes got the better of his guys.
"We got complacent in the last 15 minutes. I think having scored the first goal they thought they were there - but the game isn't over till it's over," Fairclough said.
Dunoon and Charlie Smith will now advance to the second round of the Manning Cup and to the Walker Cup, where they will meet on Friday at the Ferdie Neita Park in Portmore. The second round of the Manning Cup begins next Tuesday.
