Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter A LATE goal by substitute Rohan Franklyn capped a sensational 3-2 come from behind win by St. Catherine over city rivals Spanish Town in Group F action of the Issa/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup yesterday at the Clovelly Park, Kingston College's North Street playing field.
It was Spanish Town that charged out of the gates, they would go out in front in the 27th minute through striker Lorenzo Alston. Alston pounced on a mistake by the shaky looking custodian Jason Miller, who failed to hold on to an acutely angled shot by Derval Willis. The ball then ricocheted off the bar and ended up on the boots of Alston who comfortably slotted home.
The goalkeeper would make yet another error five minutes later. He failed to claim a ball resulting from a cross which bounced high in the six-yard box. This allowed an unmarked Alston to run on and easily head over the stranded custodian. But in truth St. Catherine always looked very capable of scoring.
In fact they squandered several clear cut opportunities, leaving only themselves to blame heading into half-time facing a two-goal deficit.
In terms of possession the second half would be all St. Catherine as Spanish Town seemed to fall back, nursing their two-goal advantage. But just like the first half, St. Catherine lacked real quality in the final third and failed to capitalise. This would come to an end in the 72nd minute when Duran Dilworth controlled the ball about 10 yards out and lobbed it over a diminutive Whalon Beech.
A spectacular goal by Kemar Daley would bring them right back into the game. Spotting Beech off his line, he chipped the ball from about 40 yards out. The placement was so precise, the back-pedalling custodian could get no touch at all on the ball.
Three minutes from time they would cruelly snatch all three points away from their cross town rivals. Franklyn made no mistake in firing home a ball rebounding off the post from a Dilworth header, sending the St. Catherine fans into a celebration frenzy.
With three games still left the win puts St. Catherine in second place on 14 points, one ahead of Spanish who have two to play, and five behind group leaders Wolmer's who also have two games remaining.
