KC’s title defence comes to grinding halt

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Kingston College (KC) were knocked out of this year’s ISSA/WATA Manning Cup competition after they were held to a 2-2 draw by rivals Calabar in Group 2 at Stadium East yesterday.

Shareef Ricketts, in the seventh minute, and Deshawn Byfield, in the 45th, were the goalscorers for KC, while Franchesco Reid, in the 21st, and Jaheim Rankine, in the 24th, were on target for Calabar. In the group’s other game, Hydel and Campion College played out an exciting 1-1 draw at the Waterhouse Stadium.

Calabar and Hydel have both advanced to the quarter-finals after finishing first and second, respectively, on five points each. They are followed by KC on four and Campion College on one.

In a fiercely contested game, Ricketts gave KC a dream start when he collected a pass from Kelvin Brown in the centre of the box before turning away from his marker to unleash a powerful left-footed shot past Calabar’s goalkeeper Kadar Miller.

However, Reid, a livewire, netted the equaliser for Calabar with a powerfully struck right-footed volley from close range.

Calabar’s celebrations had hardly died down when Rankine sent them ahead three minutes later. He arrived at the near post between two defenders to tap home a cross from Brown.

Byfield, one of the top players in this season’s competition, later capitalised on a defensive mistake from a Calabar defender to rifle home a powerful right-footed volley past Miller.

The second half was also an exciting affair. Calabar’s substitute custodian Kimmar Brown had an excellent second half for his team, making a number of crucial saves to deny KC’s attackers. In fact, Brown made a brilliant save in the 90th minute when he tipped a point-blank header from Kelvin Brown over the crossbar.

Robert Bailey

Yesterday’s Results

St Jago 2-3 Eltham

Mona 2-2 JC

Hydel 1-1 Campion

KC 2-2 Calabar