St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) seem determined to make use of their second wind in the shortened Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup season, as they whipped St Catherine High 4-1, while defending champions Jamaica College (JC) blanked Mona High 2-0 in Group 1 quarter-final action at Stadium East yesterday.

Omar Laing with a fine hat-trick (18th, 36th, 78th) and captain Omar Reid (75th) did the damage for STATHS before substitute Dwight Gentles grabbed an 86th-minute consolation for St Catherine in the lopsided affair.

Meanwhile, JC produced a dominant second-half display to outscore Mona High through a 53rd-minute penalty from Captain Duncan McKenzie (53rd) and substitute Shemron Phillips (65th) in a feature contest that lived up to its billing.

The results saw STATHS, the 2019 beaten finalists, assuming early pole position ahead of Jamaica College.

With ISSA allowing a limited number of spectators in the stands for the double-header, the atmosphere was set for a mouth-watering feature contest, especially with the hype around the highly thought of Mona team.

Both Jamaica College and Mona had their fair share of possession in an evenly contested goalless first half which had very few chances, the best of which fell to the ‘Dark Blues’

The second half started like the first, but before long, JC, with a number of substitutions asserted their authority and eventually broke the deadlock eight minutes in when Duncan converted from the 12-yard spot after Dwight Merrick was felled inside the danger area.

They Old Hope Road-based team came close to doubling the lead 10 minutes later courtesy of a good build up by Tarick Ximines, but Phillips effort was well kept out by Akeem Bernard in goal for Mona.

However, before Craig Butler’s side could reset, JC were back in their faces, this time Ximinies slipped by his marker before rifling a right-footer which came back off the underside of the crossbar with Phillips arriving ahead of defenders to finish off the rebound.

With the cushion now in their favour, Davion Ferguson’s JC started to exude confidence in a show of nippy footwork and trickery against a now ailing Mona backline.

They could have had a third in 72nd when Giovanni Minto’s cross picked out Marlon Pennicooke at the far post, but the latter’s effort went straight at Bernard.

Fourth-minute later, McKenzie’s left-footed drive from adistance just whistled past right upright.

Mona showed some life in the latter stages, their best chance of the game coming from a set play in the 86th through Romarion Thomas’s well-struck freekick from some ways out, but JC’s custodian Denzel Smith got down well to his weaker left side to parry.

Earlier, STATHS, who were giving a lifeline due to the removal of Camperdown and Tivoli Gardens, were in a no nonsense mood against a timid-looking St Catherine outfit.

Laing opened the scoring after accepting a pass from Dexter Manning at the top of the 18-yard box and placed the ball to the left of Omarion Brown in goal for St Catherine.

He later capitalised on some poor defending by St Catherine with a left-footed drive that had Brown well beaten.

The Spanish Town Road-based team pressed home the ascendancy on the resumption as they camped out in St Catherine’s quarters in a decent passage of play, but the hunt to add to their tally proved fruitless at that point.

But Laing soon turned provider with a good solo run slipping two defenders before playing a back pass for Reid to slot home from dead center of the 18 yard box.

And Reid returned the favour minutes later, glancing a header to send Laing on his way to complete the hat-trick by slotting past the outstretched right leg of Brown.

A defensive error on STATHS’ part allowed Gentles to pull one back for St Catherine four minutes from time.

— Sherdon Cowan