Defending champions Jamaica College (JC) made a good start in the second round of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Manning Cup football competition with a 2-1 win over Holy Trinity High, while Charlie Smith High were held to a 1-1 stalemate by Innswood High in the feature game of the double-header at Prison Oval yesterday.

JC now sit atop Group J with three points, while Holy Trinity will have to play catch-up from the foot of the table. Charlie Smith and Innswood are locked on one point each.

Charlie Smith playing without main striker Bebeto McDonald, who is out due to disciplinary action taken by coach Jerome Waite, looked the better team in a lukewarm first half as both teams took a while to settle. The only highlight of the half came in the 19th minute when Ronaldo Wright played a long ball forward to Chevon Crooks, who headed the ball over the advancing Kevaughn Williams in goal for Innswood to put Charlie Smith 1-0 up at the break. Williams had earlier hit his head on the right upright while skipping across the goal line to retrieve the ball and had to be substituted on the advice of the medical team after the goal was scored.

The second half began as the first with both teams failing to settle on the ball convincingly. However, Innswood would later apply some pressure which forced Charlie Smith to defend. The Spanish Town-based team’s consistent pressure resulted in the equaliser in the 87th minute through substitute Akeem Gibbons, with the assistance of Charlie Smith’s goalkeeper Leon Taylor, who failed to gather the ball cleanly.

That goal injected some tempo into the game and brought the large crowd to its feet as Innswood went on the attack. Charlie Smith responded well with some useful counter-attacks, but stout work by Innswood’s substitute goalkeeper Shamar Guthrie kept them at bay to secure a point for his team.

Earlier in the day a weary-looking JC had to come from behind to get the better of Holy Trinity. Chevon Bryan gave Holy Trinity the lead in the third minute of play with a dazzling left-footed shot to the far post from just outside the 18-yard area. However, JC got the equaliser 10 minutes later when Raffique Bryan slotted home from close range and the points were made safe for the Old Hope Road-based boys when Alando Brown headed home from a Shemar Robinson corner kick.

Today’s schedule

Group I

Vauxhall High vs Norman Manley High @ 1:00 pm

Group J

Denham Town High vs Excelsior High @3:00 pm

Both games will be played at Constant Spring Field