Defence meets attack in cup final

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

After months of preparation, 10 first-round games, three second-round games and semi-final victories, Jamaica College (JC) and Waterford High will meet today at the National Stadium to decide the 2010 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup urban area senior schoolboy football champions. Game time is set for 3 p.m., following the third-place match between Norman Manley and Bridgeport at 1 p.m.

JC will be going in search of their 20th title but this is the St Catherine-based Waterford's first trip to the big showdown. The two have met on two previous occasions this season, having been placed in the same preliminary-round group. The first meeting, which was played at the JC grounds, ended in a 1-1 draw. The return leg saw Waterford emerge 1-0 victors; their first ever over their Old Hope Road rivals, and in the process topped the group.

"When we lost to Waterford, that match wasn't really important but now it is important," JC's assistant coach, Delroy Brown, said. "The boys are in high spirits, they are saying it is revenge. We are playing on better field conditions now than when we played at Waterford, so it is going to be a totally different game," Brown pointed out.

JC, who have been the most prolific team in front of goal this season, finding the back of the net on more than 50 occasions, needed penalties to get by Bridgeport in the semi-finals.

Good frame of mind

Brown, however, expects his team to continue in their usual attacking vein.

"The frame of mind of the boys is good, we are quite ready. We are an attacking team, so we are going to be attacking."

JC's semi-final victory came at a cost as two of their players - Odane Greensword and Junior Fleming - were red-carded and will miss today's final.

"It is a team effort, we would have loved for them to play, for their own personal reasons and the team, but we will have to adjust according to the persons we have available," Brown said. "It is really for us to lose because we have been the most outstanding team in the competition," he added.

Waterford should be bubbling with confidence and should be a well-motivated unit coming into today's final. The players, who have already created history by making it to the final, will be looking to go all the way.

The school suffered a terrible loss leading up to their semi-final meeting with Norman Manley, as one of their players, Okeeffe Lewis, died in a fire at his house. They took the semi-final encounter 1-0, courtesy of an 87th-minute strike from Andre McFarlane.

"They have decided that in memory of one of their own (Okeeffe), they have to do it (win) and they will be doing whatever it takes," Waterford's coach Floyd Coke stated. "I don't think any other squad can be more motivated ... they are very upbeat right now," he added.

Waterford have conceded the fewest goals this Manning Cup season and Coke anticipates a close encounter.

"It is two equally matched teams, I believe, and one goal will separate the two teams. We are all fit and we are prepared to run the entire time, however long it takes."

Past winners of Manning Cup

• 2009 St George's
• 2008 St George's
• 2007 Jamaica College
• 2006 Bridgeport
• 2005 Calabar
• 2004 Excelsior
• 2003 Excelsior
• 2002 Norman Manley
• 2001 Bridgeport
• 2000 Norman Manley
• 1999 Tivoli Gardens
• 1998 Dunoon Technical
• 1997 Abandoned (school
• violence)
• 1996 Norman Manley
• 1995 Charlie Smith
• 1994 Wolmer's
• 1993 Excelsior
• 1992 St George's
• 1991 Ardenne
• 1990 Charlie Smith
• 1989 Excelsior
• 1988 Charlie Smith
• 1987 STATHS
• 1986 Kingston College
• 1985 Kingston College
• 1984 St George's
• 1983 St George's
• 1982 Camperdown
• 1981 Kingston College
• 1980 Excelsior
• 1979 Camperdown
• 1978 Camperdown
• 1977 Calabar
• 1976 Tivoli
• 1975 Kingston College
• 1974 Jamaica College
• 1973 No competition (previous
• year's events)
• 1972 Abandoned (shooting
• incident in MoBay)
• 1971 Wolmer's
• 1970 Kingston College
• 1969 Excelsior
• 1968 Jamaica College
• 1967 Kingston College
• 1966 Abandoned
• (polio outbreak)
• 1965 Kingston College
• 1964 Kingston College
• 1963 Jamaica College
• 1962 Jamaica College
• 1961 Jamaica College
• 1960 Abandoned
• (attack on referee)
• 1959 St George's
• 1958 Kingston College
• 1957 Kingston College
• 1956 St George's
• 1955 St George's
• 1954 No competition
• (polio epidemic)
• 1953 Excelsior
• 1952 Kingston College
• 1951 Kingston College
• 1950 Kingston College
• 1949 Kingston College
• 1948 St George's
• 1947 St George's
• 1946 Jamaica College
• 1945 St George's
• 1944 No competition
• (World War II)
• 1943 Calabar
• 1942 Jamaica College
• 1941 Jamaica College
• 1940 Jamaica College
• 1939 Wolmer's
• 1938 Wolmer's
• 1937 St George's
• 1936 St George's
• 1935 St George's
• 1934 Jamaica College
• 1933 Jamaica College
• 1932 St George's
• 1931 Wolmer's
• 1930 Wolmer's
• 1929 St George's
• 1928 St George's
• 1927 St George's
• 1926 Wolmer's
• 1925 Wolmer's
• 1924 Wolmer's
• 1923 Wolmer's
• 1922 Jamaica College
• 1921 Jamaica College
• 1920 St George's
• 1919 Jamaica College
• 1918 Jamaica College
• 1917 Jamaica College
• 1916 Jamaica College
• 1915 Jamaica College
• 1914 Jamaica College
•