Butler claims favourite tag headed into Manning Cup quarters

CRAIG BUTLER, head coach of Mona High School, says no other team in this year’s ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup football competition “has the quality” to match his team.

“I expect this team to go all the way,” Butler said yesterday after his team demolished Jonathan Grant High School 6-1 in their second-round return-leg encounter at Jamaica College’s Ashenheim Stadium in St Andrew.

Mona High goalkeeper Akeem Bernard was one of four players who got on the scoresheet, including Denzel McKenzie, who had a double.

Antwayne Ellis got Jonathan Grant’s consolation goal in the 56th minute.

“The ball is round and anything can happen, but we are committed to victory, and I think that the boys have the quality and the discipline and the mentality … they are smart players,” Butler said during a post-game interview.

“I don’t see any other team that has the quality that we have, and I have seen the other teams.

After years as perennial cellar-dwellers, Mona has become a force in the Manning Cup in recent years, and Butler said that that has triggered a positive transformation among the student population.

“The students are dressing properly, they are treating each other with respect, they are going to classes, they understand that football is a catalyst that pushes the boys and girls to greater heights,” he said while lauding school administrators for their support.

‘GOOD SEASON’

Kemeel Wolfe, head coach of Jonathan Grant, said his team had a “good season” and that he was proud of his players.

For Wolfe, the camaraderie and the fighting spirit his young squad displayed this season are some of the positives that will serve them well as they build towards next year.

“Today, we were down, but they didn’t stop playing no matter the score, and that is a good attribute moving forward to next season,” he said.

“It’s football. I don’t put any blame on being a young squad. It was a good season, not the result we wanted at the end, but we have to pick ourselves up and come again.”

Mona High quickly settled into a rhythm, and it was almost one-way traffic after Robino Gordon converted a 14th-minute penalty awarded for a poor tackle by a Jonathan Grant defender.

They were awarded a second penalty in the 37th minute after Romarion Thomas was dragged down inside the 18-yard box in one of his many telling runs at the Jonathan Grant defence.

Goalkeeper Bernard fired past his counterpart, Sheldon York.

Mona went into the break 3-0 up on McKenzie’s first goal of the game, a curling free-kick that went through York’s hand.

They completed the rout with McKenzie’s second goal in the 56th minute and goals from Carlton Brown in minute 85 and Kshane Gordon in stoppage time.

Jonathan Grant got their goal in the 57th minute through a clever strike by Ellis, who lobbed an out-of-place Bernard.

Yesterday’s results have solidified the quarterfinal places with Mona (10-1 on aggregate); Kingston College, who beat Campion 4-1 for a 7-3 aggregate win; St Catherine, whose 3-1 win over Wolmer’s Boys’ gave them a 5-1 aggregate; Hydel, whose 3-1 win over Excelsior broke the deadlock between the two; St Andrew Technical High School, whose 7-0 win over Kingston Technical meant they ran out 11-0 aggregate winners; St George’s College, whose 3-0 win over St Jago gave them a 5-0 win; defending champions, Jamaica College, whose 3-1 win over Eltham saw them run out 6-1 victors; and Tivoli, whose 2-1 win over Haile Selassie was the only tally of their two-way tie, making the eight.

Yesterday’s Results

Mona 6-1 Jonathan Grant

KC 4-1 Campion

Wolmer’s 1-3 St Catherine

Excelsior 1-3 Hydel

STATHS 7-0 Kingston Tech

St George’s 3-0 St Jago

JC 3-1 Eltham

Haile Selassie 1-2 Tivoli