MANY-Times champion St George’s College (StGC) easily dismissed Kingston College (KC) 3-0 in their Group A ISSA/LIME Manning Cup football competition at Clovelly Park, yesterday, to assume sole leadership with maximum 12 points.

KC remain in second spot with nine points, just three points adrift of their fierce rivals just a few metres away on North Street, but miles apart in terms of class and ability on the field, on the day.

Despite what looked like a comfortable win for the visiting Neville Bell-coached team, the margin of victory could have been embarrassingly much wider in what was supposed to be a tough top-of-the-table clash.

In front of a packed KC facility bursting at the seams so much that it caused a 19-minute delay to the start of the game, the visiting Georgians took a stunningly early lead in the third minute.

Following some brilliant work by Jahmarley Thomas down the right flank, Akeem Prawl ghosted in at the back post to nod home, thus silencing the horn-blowing KC faithful packed in the main pavilion splashed with the words “Home of the Brave”.

But this generation of KC players failed to show the characteristic fighting power for which the school is known and should have been at least four goals down after 20 minutes, had it not been for some poor finishing by St George’s players.

With half-time looming and KC finally finding their rhythm, a poor back pass by Jadeja Hutchinson was latched upon by the ever-dangerous Shevon Stewart, who finished expertly wide of the onrushing goalkeeper Shaquille Graham in the 42nd minute.

It was Stewart’s sixth goal from four games.

The outstanding Amoy Brown had to get on the scoresheet and he did so in style in the 80th minute, when he latched onto a quick free kick and rammed home from just inside the box to seal a deserved victory.

Head coach Bell was more than pleased for the victory, which sent his school well on their way to topping the group and it was sweet revenge for their 0-1 Roper Cup defeat a few weeks ago.

“I thought we played well and Kingston College fought hard, but we want to win everything and we are very happy with the victory,” said Bell.

“Roper Cup is a friendly game between St George’s and KC for some 50 years and that’s the way we take it,” noted Bell, who explained that seven players who played yesterday did not play in the Roper Cup match.

KC’s head coach Lenworth Hyde was clearly disappointed and said he will have to continue teaching the youngsters football. “I saw some little things today, but that’s not enough to win the Manning Cup, so we have a lot of work to do.”

Meanwhile, Waterford High moved to six points and within three points of KC with a 6-1 mauling of Campion College in the other Group A match.

In Group G, defending champions Jamaica College made it four consecutive wins with a 5-0 thrashing of Kingston Technical, while St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) edged Norman Manley 1-0.

Haile Selassie High returned to the top of Group D with 12 points following their 3-1 win over Dunoon Technical, while Camperdown High stayed second with 10 points, playing one game less with a 0-0 draw with Bridgeport High. Greater Portmore High also moved to 10 points with a 2-0 win over Papine High.