Kwesi Mugisa, Staff ReporterA furious spell of industrious first-half football saw Walker Cup champions Calabar thrash Donald Quarrie 5-0 in the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup Group B match at Breezy Castle yesterday.
The win was the third in a row for the Red Hills schoolboys, who have now scored an impressive 16 goals in three games to accumulate nine points.
However, with a game in hand, they trail Waterford, who lead the group with 10. Despite the home team getting off to a promising start, Calabar took the lead as early as the third minute when Aljay Cole sprinted on to a ball lobbed over the Donald Quarrie backline and fired past goalkeeper Shamar Coley, who opted to remain glued to his line.
The home team found themselves stretched as soon as six minutes later, when Avon Wright broke away down the right flank before setting up his teammate André Braithwaite for an easy tap-in. Things would get worse for the home team when defender André Dixon turned in a shot fired by Calabar's Richard Edite into his own net, in the 13th minute.
Ricardo Lattibeaudiere made the score 4-0 with a 23rd-minute strike and Kabari Palmer's long-range goal at the 43rd minute made it seem as if Donald Quarrie were in store for a long evening.
However, a spirited second-half performance by the home team saw them hold the visitors scoreless for the period.
Did not play with discipline
"Five nil is five nil. In the first half, we kept switching around our positions and we didn't play with any discipline," said Donald Quarrie's coach, Oneil Wright.
"It was a disappointing result for us and we just have to look to improve going forward," he said.
Calabar's coach, Alrick Clarke, confirmed that the game was a stroll in the park for Calabar and was even a little disappointed with the second-half showing.
"I think the guys were out there fooling around in the second-half and that was a little disappointing," he said.
"However, it was an easy game. We scored our goals early, so it was difficult to keep them motivated."
In the group's other game, Waterford got by Ascot 1-0.
In group E, Excelsior blanked Dunoon 6-0, St George's recorded another come- from-behind victory when they beat Ardenne 5-3 and Camperdown slipped by Greater Portmore 3-2.
In Group A, Spanish Town beat Campion 2-1, while Norman Manley got by Tarrant 3-0.
Group A
Campion