Manning Cup semi showdown - St George's face Wolmer's at Constant Spring
Published:Friday | November 18, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer
Neville 'Bertis' Bell, coach of former champions St George's College, said his team will pulling out all the stops when they oppose Wolmer's Boys in today's semi-final clash of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup encounter at the Constant Spring Sports Complex, starting at 2:45 p.m.
The match is expected to be a competitive and exciting encounter between teams which will be at full strength.
However, the North Street-based St George's, who are hoping to wrest the title from Jamaica College, are expected to get the better of their opponents, based on the strength and depth of their team. The 19-time champions, who are unbeaten this season, are hoping to take the urban area senior schoolboy football double, having already booked a place in the Walker Cup KO final.
"We are looking forward to it and we are confident," said Bell. "We think if we continue what we have been doing all season, then we should do well," he said.
Bell added: "There will be no pressure at all (on us) because this is what we have been training for all summer. We wanted to be here and we are very happy that we are here."
The Georgians' goal hunt will be led by their diminutive but impressive striker Kendon Anderson, who has so far netted 20 goals in all competitions this season.
Anderson is expected to receive good support from national Under-17 players Andre Lewis, Cardel Benbow, Adrian Jenkins, Romario Jones and goalkeeper Nico Campbell.
On the other hand, the Heroes Circle-based Wolmer's have been gaining momentum as the season progresses, following a poor start to the competition, which saw them qualifying for the second round as the best third-place team. They breezed through the second phase unbeaten, registering three wins in a row.
"We are going there to play some good and competitive football and to win," said Ludlow Bernard, coach of Wolmer's.
"We know that we are the underdogs, but we have nothing to lose and the pressure is not on us, so we are more motivated to play and try and upset (St George's College)," he said.
"We have had good games in the past against them and we figure more or less that if we can produce some of those better games, we will be right up there at the end."
Wolmer's will have plenty of firepower in their line-up with national Under-17 striker Jason Wight, who has netted eight goals, and their leading scorer Christopher Campbell, who is on 10. They are expected to receive good support from midfielder Jaheel Hyde, who has five goals.