Charlie Smith, Calabar in crucial Manning Cup clash

WITH only three points separating second place from fourth place in Group A of the ISSA/Manning Cup competition, today’s encounter between second- place Calabar High and fourth-place Charlie Smith High could be crucial towards qualification for the second round of the competition.

Charlie Smith, following three straight defeats, have found some momentum with back-to-back victories. They first clipped Camperdown High 2-1 then hammered Penwood High 5-0. Eugene Williams, head coach of Charlie Smith, stated that the clash with Calabar is crucial if his team wants a place in the second round of the competition as his lads are yet to register a victory over the group’s top three - Kingston College, Hydel and Calabar.

“We haven’t beaten any of the three teams that are ahead of us and we know what today’s game is all about. Three points, against Calabar, is very crucial because if you look at it, we are only a point behind them,” he stated.

Charlie Smith, in fourth place, are currently on 12 points while Calabar are on 13. In the team’s previous encounter, Calabar ran away with a 3-0 victory over Charlie Smith. However, coach Williams believes the team has learnt from their mistakes.

“The last encounter we were very complacent and we even lost our goalkeeper (red card). So, we will be the same Charlie Smith but with a different approach,” he said.

Williams explained that despite being in a group that’s been labelled as the ‘group of death’, he believes his team took things for granted but have now found themselves in a precarious position.

“We should’ve been in a better spot because how we planned things it hasn’t gone that way. We were taking things for granted, so find ourselves in a position where our backs are against the wall, so it’s for us now to step up to the plate and show our true potential,” he said.

Yesterday’s results

Excelsior 3 Bridgeport 1

Pembroke Hall 2 Ardenne 2

Campion College 1 Jose Marti 0

St George’s College 1 Waterford 0

Cedar Grove 0 STATHS 2

Today’s matches

Meadowbrook vs Spanish Town (Meadowbrook)

Tivoli vs Jamaica College (Tivoli)

Kingston Technical vs Cumberland (Bell Chung Oval)

Mona High vs Holy Trinity (Mona)

St. Catherine vs Norman Manley (St. Catherine)

Calabar vs Charlie Smith (Calabar)

Hydel vs Penwood (Royal Lakes)

Kingston College vs Camperdown (Stadium East)

Haile Selassie vs Denham Town (Haile Selassie)

Jonathan Grant vs Eltham (Jonathan Grant)

Greater Portmore vs Dunoon (Royal Lakes)

Donald Quarrie vs Vauxhall (Harbour View mini-Stadium)

St Jago vs Ascot (St Jago)

Wolmer’s Boys vs Papine (Mico)

Greater Portmore vs Dunoon will kick off at 1 p.m. All other matches are set for a 3:30 p.m. start.