Norman Grindley/Staff Photographer
The jubilant Norman Manley players celebrate after winning the Manning Cup football final at Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
NORMAN MANLEY High are the kings of Corporate Area schoolboy football after pulling off a nail-biting, 4-3 penalty shoot-out victory over Wolmer's Boys in the Manning Cup final at the Harbour View Mini Stadium yesterday.
After 90 minutes and two sudden-death extra-time periods, the teams were locked in a 0-0 tie and that was when Norman Manley's goalkeeper, Jermaine Campbell, came to the fore.
Campbell saved penalties kicked by Howard Wong, Shomari Glanville and Richard Kentish to parry his side to glory.
Wolmer's goalkeeper, Craig Brooks, also performed well in the final stanza. He saved one of the first two penalties, the other striking the crossbar, and then suffered the cruellest of fates when the match-winning attempt from Ryan Douglas hit the crossbar, rebounded on to Brooks' back and into the goal.
Luton Shelton, Fenton Graham and Jermaine Gardener scored for Wolmer's, while Bryan Bayliss, Nicholas O'Shane, Omar Blake and Douglas secured the third Cup title under coach Alrick Clarke.
"The team showed grit and determination and it paid off today, Clarke said. "I love this victory... I think this victory is the most important one in my career."
Clarke said he knew he had the talent to take care of Wolmer's once it went down to penalties after a see-sawing regulation time which saw few chances and a conservative extra-time effort from both sides.
"I knew before that we had the players who could deliver. I think what went wrong is that we started out with the wrong person kicking the first penalty. It is a matter of nerves and definitely it paid off," Clarke said.
"I know the captain (Douglas) is a confident person. He wanted to kick the first one but we know it is the finishing that does it," he said.
Michael Francis, coach of the losing team, said his team played well despite the loss.
"I think it's just one of those things. You do everything you can possibly do as a coach but when it has to be decided from the penalty spot, there is very little the coach can do from there," he said.
