Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Calabar's Marlon Smith celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Charlie Smith during their ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup match at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday. Calabar won 3-1. - PHOTOS BY CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
CALABAR HIGH turned in a clinical performance to beat Charlie Smith 3-1 in their Group B, ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup encounter at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.
Goals by Akeem Bennett (20th) and Marlon Smith (36th) had given Calabar a two-goal cushion, before captain Craig Hunter briefly lifted the home team's hopes by slotting home in the 67th minute to reduce the deficit.
But Kirk Palmer popped up in the 81st minute to kill Charlie Smith's dream of a comeback and secured Calabar's second win of the season and second position in the group on six points, three behind leaders Dunoon Technical on nine points.
Ardenne, with a 2-0 win over Tarrant, are also on six points but third on goal difference.
RED CARDS
In an exciting game, three players were shown the red card by referee Keble Williams.
Charlie Smith's Gillian Pusey was the first to go in the 85th minute and was soon joined by teammate Leroy Clarke and Lennox Creary of Calabar in the dressing room for violent conduct.
In the feature game of the round, Calabar, the 1977 champions, dominated the action from start to finish and their victory was well deserved.
The skilful Romane Palmer, scorer of four goals against Tarrant, was at his menacing best, terrorising the Charlie Smith backline at will.
Palmer, along with Marlon Smith, Shane Bygrave, Lennox Creary, Darrien Thomas and captain Robert Palmer proved too much for the home side in a workmanlike performance.
Striker, Craig Hunter, Andrew Phang, Michael Russell and Gairy Lewis tried but lacked support from their defensive players.
"We came off a loss and I don't know if Charlie Smith not playing on Friday hampered their rhythm," Calabar's coach David Hunt said. "We got off to a good start. They came at us in the second half, but we caught them on the counter and got back the two-goal cushion."
Jerome Waite, Charlie Smith's coach, had high praises for his conquerors while noting that his team is really on a two-year programme.
"Calabar is a better team physically. My team is very young. We have a lot of talented players but they just need to learn the game some more and be more disciplined," noted Waite, also the coach of Arnett Gardens.
SCOREBOARD
Group B
Vauxhall 0 Dunoon 1
Ardenne 2 Tarrant 0
Calabar 3 Charlie Smith 1
Group D
Tivoli Gardens 2 Edith Dalton James 0
Waterford 1 St George's College 1
Group F
Innswood 0 Ascot 3
Wolmer's 2 St Catherine 1
Spanish Town 6 Donald Quarrie 2
TODAY'S GAMES
Group A
Jamaica College vs Kingston Technical
Mona vs Excelsior
Group C
St Andrew Technical vs Campion
Clan Carthy vs Norman Manley
Trench Town vs Penwood
Group E
St Jago vs Bridgeport
Eltham vs Holy Trinity
Meadowbrook vs Kingston College
