ISSA ruling puts Denham Town in Manning Cup semis

Hydel High School's hopes of advancing to the semi-finals of the ISSA/FLOW football competition were dashed by an Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) ruling yesterday, which docked them three points for using an ineligible player.

The challenge was made by Denham Town, following their first-round 0-3 loss to Hydel. They said the Ferry-based school used an ineligible player, Howard Morris, as he had been shown a red card in the preceding FLOW Super Cup game against Clarendon College and should have served at least an automatic one-match suspension.

"The boy (Howard Morris) should have missed a game but played. The Disciplinary Committee met and decided that should not have been the case. He should have sat out the match against Denham Town. Denham Town got the three points," said ISSA's competition's officer George Forbes.

Denham Town High qualified as the first team through to the semi-finals of the competition as they cannot be caught by any team, even if they lose their remaining group match.

Camperdown are also out of the running and can only get a maximum of five points.

The result left the Geoffrey Maxwell-coached Hydel with one point from two games.

Denham Town's coach Omar Edwards said: "The rules are quite clear. I am not sure if they got our rule book. The player got a match where he should had a Manning Cup match where he should have served his ban and it could not be next year. They got it wrong."

Hydel's coach, Geoffrey Maxwell, could not be reached by telephone for a comment yesterday.