George's prevail in heated battle

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

The beautiful game was yesterday marred by questionable officiating and unruly spectators, as St George's College emerged from a heated battle with Calabar High 2-0 winners in their Group H encounter at the Constant Spring playing field, to progress to the semi-final of the 2011-12 Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup competition.

In a game which saw a dismissal apiece for both teams and two seven-minute stoppages due to bottle throwing incidents on either side of the half, the game's bright moments came in the 61st and 94th minutes when Romario Jones and Davian Kelly, respectively, netted for the 19-time champions.

In the curtain-raiser, Camperdown High condemned Penwood High to a pointless exit from the second round after clipping them 2-1. Camperdown's goals were scored by Oshane Williams in the 23rd minute and Marchel Johnson in the 72nd minute. Penwood's goal came courtesy of captain Clifford Shaw from the penalty spot in the 63rd minute.

The huge crowd that gathered to watch three-time champions Calabar and the 'Light Blues' renew their rivalry which had commenced in the semi-final of the Walker Cup when the latter emerged 5-0 winners, were dealt a dose of déjà vu of sorts, as just was the case when a Calabar player was ejected early in the contest.

On the advice of the fourth official, referee Vern Harris showed Romario Sewell a red card for an off the ball foul on St George's Cordel Benbow in the 11th minute.

The enraged Calabar supporters did not react kindly to this as they hurled a few bottles on to the field forcing the referee to halt proceedings as ISSA's competition director George Forbes and the police got things under control.

The players appeared to have been distracted by the incidents as the only real goalmouth action came in the 29th minute when a snap shot by Jones struck the right upright.

Calabar's first attempt at goal did not come until the 53rd minute when Chevonne 'Messi' Marsh hit a fierce shot from the top of the area, which George's custodian Nico Campbell had to tip around the post.

The Neville Bell-coached George's finally made their numerical advantage count in the 61st minute when Jones was left totally unmarked on the back post to volley home from close range.

The Calabar supporters were once again infuriated, with things reaching a boiling point in the 79th minute when the first assistant referee was struck on the back of his head with an appleton quart bottle, forcing another hold up in play.

On the game's resumption, Kelly and Kareem Manning put together a beautiful passing move which was rounded off with the former slotting past the keeper four minutes into stoppage time.

Enough time was left, however, for Harris to show George's Ricardo Henry his second yellow card of the match.

Though not pleased with the manner in which the game was contested, Bell was delighted with still being on course to win the urban area senior schoolboy football double.

"I don't think it was a great game, I think it was a very scrappy game. But you are not always going to have beautiful football," Bell said.

"We are in the Walker Cup final and we want to be in the Manning Cup final, and we want to win them both, so we are glad we have that opportunity," he added.

Calabar's head coach Marvin Tate was left fuming at the officials' display but was proud of his team's showing despite the result.

"This is the worst officiating I have ever seen in my 20-odd years of coaching, but this is just a part of life and we have to just pick it up and move on," Tate shared.

"I am very proud of my players, I think they came here today knowing what we had to do in order to win, but it is just one of those days," he added.