Goals from Andre Fagan, Keammar Daley and Craig Hunter helped the Coporate Area's All-Manning football team to a 3-1 beating of the Trinidad and Tobago All-Stars at Constant Spring Sport Complex yesterday. Striker Lester Peltier scored the lone goal for the Trinidadians.
With just eight minutes gone in the game, the All-Manning team took the lead through Fagan, who fired a fierce shot past goalkeeper Leston Shade as the David Hunt-coached aggregation sought their footing early in the proceedings.
The young Soca Warriors were unperturbed by the early setback, however, as they held their composure and displayed superior technique and cohesion.
They would be rewarded for their discipline 10 minutes later when Peltier weaved his way through the belly of the Jamaica midfield while shaking off some three defenders before unleashing a grounder into the far corner of the goal.
And though they went into the half-time break a goal down, the scoreline could have been different as Peltier's flick-on from a right-sided free-kick crashed off the upright.
Further, midfielder Elton John's singing shot from point-blanked range from inside the six-yard box miraculously sailed over the crossbar.
Jamaica College skipper Daley, who is also the All-Manning captain, scored from the penalty spot after the referee called for a handball infringement inside penalty-box two minutes from the break.
The changes were fast and furious in the second half as both coaches - Hunt in particular - strove to give the other players on the bench some exposure.
All of nine changes were made by the winning Manning Cup standard-bearers, compared to five made by the visiting team as the game picked up pace, yet lacked intensity for the majority of the second period.
While the Jamaicans took control in the process, the visitors lost two of their better players in Khaleem Hyland and John due to injuries sustained earlier in the game which forced them to be substituted.
In spite of this glitch, however, the All-Manning team were kept at bay until the final minute of official play when substitute Hunter headed home from a Jermaine Allen cross.
Despite being outplayed in the end, Selris Figaro, coach of the Trinidad and Tobago all-star team, was not disappointed.
"Jamaica outplayed us so we have to just rebound and come again," he said with a smile.
Hunt, meanwhile, praised his opponents for their good showing, but said his team basically stuck to the game plan and therefore came away with the victory.
"I think they (Trinidadians) stuck to the task. At first they upset our rhythm in the game, but we settled down well after that," he said. Tomorrow, the visitors will go up against the Carl Palmer-coached All-daCosta Cup team at Brancourt Park in Clarendon.