Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
Camperdown's Jermaine Clarke (right) tackles Ricardo Campbell of Charlie Smith during Manning Cup second-round action yesterday at Emmet Park. Charlie Smith won 1-0. - Michael Sloley /Freelance Photographer
A 91ST MINUTE strike by Charlie Smith's Marcileno Blackburn secured three valuable points for the side in its opening Pepsi/Sports Plus Manning Cup schoolboy football second-round game against Camperdown at Emmet Park yesterday.
Blackburn, who earlier failed to score from the penalty spot in the dying moments of the game, struck two minutes later to record his 23rd goal of the season and give his team a hard-fought 1-0 win.
In the first game of the Emmet Park doubleheader, Excelsior, with goals from Ricardo Ximines (35th) and Horace Howell (92nd), defeated last year's beaten semi-finalists Jonathan Grant 2-0.
At Campion playfield, Wolmer's went on a goalscoring spree, hammering Jamaica College 5-1. Fenton Graham (29th, 69th), Howard Wong (42nd, 76th) and Shomari Glanville (23rd) caused the damage while Vivian Malcolm scored for JC.
After a tight first half, Charlie Smith slowly took charge in second. However, it wasn't until the 87th minute that they found the back of the net after a goalmouth scramble but, as their fans started to celebrate, the referee whistled a foul and disallowed the strike from.
Two minutes later, Charlie Smith were awarded a penalty, again the crowd started to celebrate, but marksman Blackburn stepped up and fires over the bar.
He, however, returned to redeem himself in time added-on when he scored from close range.
