KC, JC to face off for Walker Cup title

Kingston College (KC) and Jamaica College (JC) will meet in this year’s ISSA Walker Cup final after both emerged from dramatic semi-final encounters at Stadium East yesterday.

JC secured their place in the final after edging Mona High 4-3 on penalties following an entertaining 3-3 draw in regulation time, while KC staged a spirited comeback to defeat Excelsior 2-1.

In the second game of the semi-final double-header, which was rescheduled after rain on Friday prevented the completion of play, Jamone Lyle opened the scoring for JC in the fifth minute before Donald Stewart doubled the lead four minutes later with a strike from distance.

Sean Leighton pulled one back for Mona from the penalty spot in the 13th minute before Skyler McFarlane levelled the scores in the 61st.

Judah Edmonds-Hall appeared to have handed Mona the lead with his goal in the 90th minute, but JC struck back in stoppage time through captain Joshua King to force a penalty shootout.

Earlier, in a match that resumed from the 65th minute after being suspended on Friday with Excelsior leading 1-0 through Aldeano Walters’ 45th-minute strike, KC showed resilience with goals from Zaire Dowse in the 83rd minute and Deshawn Byfield in the 88th.

KC head coach Jermaine Miller said it was not difficult to motivate his players for the restart.

“It wasn’t difficult to get them motivated,” said Miller. “Excelsior scored on the stroke of half-time, celebrating and firing gun shots and running towards our bench, and that itself got the boys motivated. We knew we were the better team but the surface just didn’t allow us to play how we wanted to play yesterday.”

Excelsior coach Keon Broderick was left disappointed by the result.

“It is a tough game to lose with 25 minutes remaining. I think we had the ability to keep out the KC team but it was not to be,” Broderick said.

“I thought we fell asleep in certain moments, especially with the first goal. I think that we were not alive when the ball went dead and, as a result, with the ensuing drop ball, we did not close down the KC midfielder fast enough and he was able to get off a shot and score.”

After the second game, JC technical director Jason Henry described the contest as a “game of moments” and said his team’s lapse in concentration allowed Mona to recover from an early two-goal deficit.

“I must say it was a game of moments. In the first 15 minutes, we would have dominated and scored two goals. I think we got a bit indisciplined, hence we gave up a penalty and let back in the Mona team,” Henry said.

The Walker Cup final is scheduled for Friday.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com