William Knibb live to fight another day

WILLIAM KNIBB Memorial High School survived a potentially devastating three-point deduction with a hard-fought 2-0 win over York Castle High School in the ISSA/WATA daCosta Cup yesterday.

Needing a win to make it into the top four teams in Zone C, set to contest for a place in the second round, William Knibb got goals from Koran Henriques in the 72nd minute and Theonjae Bennett in the 85th.

On Tuesday, William Knibb were docked three points for using an ineligible player in their game against Cedric Titus on September 23. The deduction dropped them to fifth place on nine points, but left a sliver of hope with the fourth-placed York Castle on 11 points and within catching distance.

William Knibb seemed to be getting things right tactically in the first half as they attacked and defended well.

With no room for error and given multiple chances to take the lead, William Knibb may have started to panic a little.

Late in the second half, with a golden opportunity, William Knibb’s leading goal scorer, 15-year-old Henriques, tipped the ball over Kemarie Hunter’s head, the York Castle goalkeeper haplessly watching the effort roll into the net.

With a 1-0 lead, William Knibb were not finished, Bennett’s strike making the points safe and relegating York Castle to the ignominy of not being able to qualify for the second round.

APPEAL

Dwight Jeremiah, coach of William Knibb, who had launched an appeal on the grounds that the wrong player had been recorded as being yellow-carded in the game against Edric Titus, was a happy man.

“For me, the boys came into the game today under a lot of pressure, losing three points in the boardroom, something I am still upset about. I think they used it as motivation today, and we are vindicated in making that top four. The problem now is I am still three points off two other teams and six points behind the top. It’s like you are giving a six-point advantage by giving my three points to Cedric Titus,” Jeremiah said.

“York Castle made it difficult for us in the first half. We didn’t really create a lot of clear-cut chances in the first half. I am very happy for the boys. It would have been a travesty for them to have put out so much work and to have gone out like that this season. I really think that these boys are probably the best of the lot in the zone, and I think they will come to the fore once we get into the top four.”

Valnie Clarke, coach of York Castle, said it was a tough encounter.

“It was one of those games where you entered it, and you had good opportunities, but William Knibb were very good. They defended well and nullified most of the threats we had today. In the end, I thought we gave it as much as we possibly could. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get the result that we wanted,” said Clarke.

He added: “As for the zone I am in, for me, I would rather one where you can have home-and-away games. That way you can plot your way better. From the moment you started, you have those teams where everyone is going to win and it was never about those teams. From the get-go, it’s like a knockout competition, so it didn’t really feel like the group situation that you had. You are fighting to go to a top four. I didn’t like it, and I hope it’s the last time ISSA does it.”

William Knibb jumps to fourth spot in the zone with 12 points, leapfrogging York Castle, who drop to fifth with their 11 points.

Yesterday’s Results

York Castle 0-1 William Knibb

Cedric Titus 1-0 Brown’s Town

Ewarton 0-5 Dinthill

Claude McKay 1-3 Lennon

Christiana 1-2 Mile Gully

Fair Prospect 4-3 Titchfield

Ferncourt 3-1 Discovery Bay

Enid Bennett 2-4 McGrath

Mannings 2-1 Petersfield

Knockalva 3-3 Grange Hill

B.B Coke 0-1 STETHS

Edwin Allen 3-1 Thompson Town

Roger Clarke 2-12 Newell

Aabuthnot Gallimore 0-4 Ocho Rios

Sydney Pagon 1-3 Maggotty

Munro 0-0 Lacovia

Denbigh 0-1 Central

Porus 1-7 Glenmuir