JC, Wolmer’s play out four-goal thriller
FORMER Issa/digicel Manning Cup champions Jamaica College (JC) and Wolmer’s Boys’ School played out a fourgoal thriller at Ashenheim Stadium at 189 old Hope Road yesterday, as the highly anticipated game lived up to expectations.
With the first meeting between both teams still hanging in the balance, this second meeting had taken on more importance to both teams and both sets of fans, so it was no surprise that the game was played in front a full house at JC.
JC had to come from behind twice to snatch a point at home, in a pulsating game that delivered action from the opening whistle to the last.
Wolmer’s showed that they would not be overawed by JC in the opening stages and took the lead when Revaldo Mitchell ran almost half the field, with defenders on his back, to slip the ball under the body of the JC custodian Daniel Russell in the eighth minute.
But the Davian Fergusoncoached team were not about to lay down and die and were level just three minutes later when Phillon Lawrence found the back of the net from close range.
Both teams continued to create chances without any changes to the scoreline in the first half.
Wolmer’s got off to a fast start in the second half, with Russell forced to pull off a brilliant one-handed save, by diving to his right to deny Dushawn Bernard.
JC then turned on the pressure on Wolmer’s, coming close with back-to-back chances as they pressed for the go-ahead goal.
Despite their dominance, JC went behind for a second time in the game when substitute Zhavier Lynch lashed home in the 76th minute.
Staring defeat in the face, the “True Blues” went in hunt for a second equaliser. Denzil Smith produced an outstanding save to deny Shaniel Thomas, before the base of the post kept out the effort of substitute Oquassa Chong.
The boys from Heroes’ Circle would have thought that the three points were in the bag when the clock rolled past the 90-minute mark, but that was not to be.
JC were awarded a free kick 24 yards out, and a ferocious strike from Chong flew over the hand of Smith and into the roof of the net to rescue a point for the hosts in the second minute of added time. This result leaves the group precariously poised and six minutes plus added time still left to play in the other match between the two schools, with Wolmer’s leading 2-1.