COACH Donovan Duckie has cited teamwork, on and off the field, as the main ingredient in Manchester High’s amazing display throughout the first round of the ISSA/FLOW daCosta Cup competition.

On Monday, the Mandeville-based school eased past deCarteret College 5-1 in a rescheduled fixture to record their 10th victory in as many matches to close out Zone F with maximum 30 points. They also scored their 68th goal of the season in the process, while conceding for only the fourth time, and will now head into the inter-zone round as the team to beat.

Duckie says none of this would be possible without the backing of the school board.

He said: “They’ve made a significant decision in terms of moving the dormitory from the school compound, where there’s a lot of distraction, to a more remote area.

“It’s like a rural area in an urban community, and this has helped them (the players) to understand each other as individuals because they are living together.

“It has improved the solidarity, camaraderie and team chemistry. They are more focused, so this is a major factor in what they are achieving on the field.”

But what about complacency? Is he at all concerned that the players might become too comfortable in their own skin, thinking that their astronomical first-round numbers make them invincible?

“Of course, this has to be to taken into consideration,” said Duckie. “They are schoolboys, and having had the opportunity to coach the national (Under-20) team and at the Premier League level, you make a comparison. And you realise that at this level the biggest challenge is to keep them focused.

“They are boys, they are going to get carried away, so we have to do a lot of work in that department. That’s why we have psychological sessions where speakers come in and talk to them about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.”

And if not complacency, what about their ability to withstand the pressure? After all, they are looking to give their school, and the parish at large, its first major schoolboy football title.

“To be honest,” said Duckie, “we have talked about it, but we have not really talked about.

“What I realise about coaching at this level is that sometimes the more you speak to them about the seriousness of the project it’s more likely that they will falter psychologically. Normally, athletes don’t respond greater when they know they are under pressure.

“For example, take Asafa Powell: he will run the fastest times in the world under normal circumstances and then on the big stage he runs the slowest times. Even Usain Bolt, when you look at his approach, he’s always jovial on the biggest stage. He’s trying to ensure that he doesn’t puts himself under unnecessary pressure.

“So, yes, it’s important to find a balance. We remind them that it’s very important to win, but we also allow them to enjoy themselves because they will give you better performances when they are relaxed.”

And Manchester are bracing for their tough inter-zone group of Clarendon College, Munro College, and Spalding High.

“We know it won’t be easy,” said Duckie, “because all the teams in the second round have quality, and they also have great coaches. So we are aware that the level of competition will rise significantly.”

“What is important to us is to be in control of our destiny. We want to be perfect at what we are doing, so we will concentrate on improving our game and pay less attention to what they (the opponents) are doing.”

Yet Duckie, now in his second year with the mid-island-based school, thinks his team can get even better as the season progresses.

“Yes, we have been clinical so far,” admits Duckie, “but, in terms of our transition, I’m not so impressed.”