Mona hurt misfiring Charlie Smith

DEFENDING ISSA Manning Cup champions Mona had to work hard on their home turf to eke out a 1-0 victory over Group B opponents Charlie Smith on Saturday as a Denzel McKenzie free kick in the 84th minute separated both teams.

Charlie Smith’s striker, George Pringle, made his intentions known early on in the encounter as his powerful shot in the 14th minute was only denied by the outstretched arms of Mona’s custodian, Riquelme Edwards. Teammate Neyo Drummond got in on the action by the 20th minute but was also stopped from registering an opener by Edwards, who pulled off a magnificent diving save. The defending champions, after the early warning signs, slowly grew into the game, and by the 39th minute, had their first shot on target through Demarion Harris, whose shot was comfortably handled by goalkeeper Andre Bogle.

In the second half, Charlie Smith resumed their press for a goal as the threatening Neyo Drummond, in the 50th minute, saw his shot from just outside the 18-yard box sail wide of the mark. Perhaps the easiest chance of the match would fall to Drummond again, this time by the 67th minute as he found himself with an empty net to aim at, but a rushed shot saw his effort go wide. All those chances would come to haunt Charlie Smith as Mona’s danger man, McKenzie, slammed a powerful freekick on a muddy pitch, which managed to escape Bogle’s grasp and scrambled over the line.

Coach disappointed

Eugene Williams, head coach of Charlie Smith, said though this was the best performance he had seen from the team since the start of the competition, he was disappointed.

“I’m disappointed because I wanted to win entering the second round. However, we have nothing to be ashamed about. This is the best game this team has played since the start of the season as we stood up to Mona. The conditions weren’t the best, but for the second round, people will see the true Charlie Smith,” he suggested.

Craig Butler, head coach of Mona, in his post-game assessment, shared that winning a game of this nature tested the coaching mettle of his management staff.

“It shows that we have character and have quality coaches that are able to guide them. This game was a grind-out one, but we just put our feet down. I think that we just need to ensure that hubris doesn’t set in and the coaching staff ensures that we keep them focused, humble, and working hard.

orane.buchanan@gleanerjm.com