Victory puts STATHS through

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Former champions St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) booked their spot in the quarter-final round of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup urban area senior schoolboy football competition, with an exciting 2-0 win over Penwood at STATHS yesterday.

STATHS have now joined early qualifiers Norman Manley as the two teams to advance from Group D. STATHS ended their fixtures in second place on 29 points, the same number as Norman Manley, who have a superior goal difference.

Penwood, who have one outstanding game, are third on 25 points.

Excelsior advance

Also yesterday, Excelsior (29) beat Kingston Technical High 3-0 to advance from Group C along with Charlie Smith (28), who hammered St Andrew College 10-0. Calabar (26) beat Innswood 5-0 but failed to advance.

St George's College scored a fighting 3-2 win over Spanish Town to win Group E with 30 points and qualify for the next round, while Waterford beat St Mary's College 2-0 to advance alongside already-qualified Jamaica College from Group A.

At STATHS, Chevon Montgomery (67th) and Odane Elson (87th) scored the goals for the Phillip Williams-coached hosts, who won the competition in 1987.

Williams, whose team made it to the semi-finals last year, said he was delighted because they played a well-executed match.

"Our performance today was a result of two weeks of hard work gearing towards this match. The guys played well and this is the end product, and I am happy for the victory," Williams said.

He added: "We started out a bit slow, but as the game went on we got into our own, and when we took the game to Penwood they didn't respond and so we were able to put the game away quite easily."

Penwood's coach, Rupert Nich-olas, said: "We played well in the first half, but in the second my team just threw the match away.

"I think that STATHS wanted it more because they were playing the better ball in the second half and my players also weren't listening to the instructions that were given to them on the field."

Both teams created a number of clear-cut scoring chances in the first period. However, poor finishing from their strikers affected their tally.

squandered chances

Penwood's top scorers, Clifford Shaw and Ricardo Greenword, both squandered goalmouth chances, while STATHS's Gevany Howell and Montgomery went closer by hitting the crossbar.

However, the fleet-footed Mont-gomery, who dazzled the Penwood defenders with his swift dribbling skills and off-the-ball movements, gave his team the lead, when he fired home from point-blank range past custodian Jemmel Chambers.

Elson wrapped up the victory for hosts three minutes from time when he headed a cross from Robert Green past Chambers, who was well beaten at his near post.

Yesterday's results

Group A: Waterford 2 St Mary's College 0

Group C: Excelsior 3 Kingston Technical 0, Charlie Smith 10 St Andrew College 0, Calabar 5 Innswood 0

Group E: St George's College 3 Spanish Town 2, Wolmer's 2 Ardenne 0