Patrick likes St Catherine progress
Published:Saturday | October 1, 2022 | 12:11 AMJob Nelson/Sports Coordinator
ST CATHERINE High School coach, Anthony Patrick, is overjoyed that his players were able to overcome the heavy underfoot conditions to overpower Holy Trinity High, 3-0, in their clash at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.
According to Patrick, his satisfaction stems from St Catherine playing the way he wants them to. The margin of victory, he said, was a bonus in a match in which they controlled the major portion of the action, although not being overly dominant.
“Apart from the JC [Jamaica College] game, this is one of the better games that we played from the season started. I just want them to continue like this and get better. This is how I want them to play, so I wasn’t looking at the goal margin as this is how I want them to play and enjoy themselves. I want them to keep passing, keep working and keep talking out there,” Patrick said.
Goals by Jacque Watson, Rolando Redman and Jahiem Walters in the 17th, 43rd and 70th minutes, respectively, carried St Catherine to 13 points and the top of Group B of the competition, as they overtook Jamaica College (JC), who are on 10 but will play their fifth match against St Mary’s College today. Yesterday was St Catherine’s fifth game.
In the first half, Holy Trinity controlled the early stages until St Catherine found their rhythm with the latter, kicking towards the prison, squandering two easy chances to score, through Ellis Guscott and Nickyle Ellis.
They eventually took the lead when Holy Trinity defender Billroy Medwinter failed to control properly and was robbed by Guscott. The punishment was swift, Guscott passing to Watson on the left of the penalty area for him to beat custodian Najae Graham.
SECOND BOOKABLE OFFENCE
On the second goal, Graham was all to blame, making a mess of Rodman’s direct free kick. The spot kick, taken from the left of the field was no closer than midway Rodman’s half and went straight to him. Still, the goalkeeper fumbled and watched haplessly as the delivery squirted between his legs, putting his team further behind.
St Catherine also started the second period slowly and were held at bay until Holy Trinity’s Uyi Brown was sent off by referee Odette Hamilton after a second bookable offence in the 65th minute.
The St John’s Road-based institution then took over the match with Walters securing the points with a long-range effort.
Holy Trinity’s assistant coach Damoney Kildare believes inexperience got the better of his players.
“The conditions made it a scrappy affair, but the performance still wasn’t good enough. We are in a rebuilding process with the members playing Manning Cup for the first time. Everything right now is experience and a learning process,” Kildare said.