Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
St. Catherine's Kemar Bennett, playing for Jamaica's All-Manning team, dribbles by a Trinidadian defender during the Jamaica/Trinidad and Tobago Friendship Trophy first-leg game at the Constant Spring Complex yesterday. Jamaica won 3-1. - RICARDO MAKYN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE ALL-Manning selection scored an easy 3-1 win over the Trinidad and Tobago All Schools team in the first leg of the Jamaica/Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Friendship Trophy at the Constant Spring Complex yesterday.
Goals by Andre Fagon in the seventh, captain Keamar Daley's penalty in the 43rd and Craig Hunter's header in the 90th propelled the local boys to their convincing victory.
The dangerous Lester Peltier held off two defenders before rifling a low shot past diving Oneil Wilson in goal in the 20th minute to briefly give his team some parity.
TWO-GOAL ADVANTAGE
The All-daCosta Cup team will now have a two-goal advantage going into tomorrow's second-leg game at Brancourt, Clarendon starting at 3:00 p.m.
Winning coach, David Hunt, said the game was one of "spurts".
"We started excellently, got a goal and then we just went to sleep before Trinidad slowly took over the game. Then we got back and dominated," Hunt, the coach of Manning Cup champions Calabar, said.
"It's a matter of concentration and hopefully these players will get some more exposure at the international level to see different styles," he noted. I think we should have scores at least two more goal. But we did our part for the All-daCosta Cup team, " he added.
Meanwhile, Selris Figaro, coach of the Trinidad schoolboys had no doubts about which team was the better.
"You all outplayed us, totally," said Figaro. "You were faster to the ball and more aggressive. Our players were messing around and making mistakes.
"This Jamaican team was making no mistakes. We'll have to bounce and recover for the next game," he said.
The All-Manning team, decked out in black shorts and yellow and black tops, started the game with six players from champions Calabar.
The local boys got off to a fast start when in the seventh minute Norman Manley striker Fagon collected a ball in the box and fired past the diving Leston Shade in goal.
But T&T fought back through the speedy and dangerous Lester Peltier, Akil DeFreitas, Elton John and Elijah Mannors.
FORGED AHEAD
In the 20th minute, Peltier won a ball from Norman Bailey in midfield and held off two defenders before placing his shot wide of Wilson.
But two minutes before the break, the All-Manning team forged ahead from the penalty spot as captain Daley easily converted.
The expected unlimited changes came in the second half as the prolific Jermaine Allen, Craig Hunter, Wayne Walker and Kenardo Forbes entered the fray.
And with time running out, it was the combination of Forbes and Hunter that got All-Manning their third goal.
Forbes, out of Bridgeport High, sped down the right flank and crossed perfectly to Hunter who could not miss with his header from close range.
