Wolmers had to show character - Thomas

Wolmer's Boys head coach, Alex Thomas, said he knew his team would have to show character to get three points against Holy Trinity in their top-of-the-table Group G ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup match at Heroes Circle yesterday.

First-half goals from Kimon Gibbon and Nickache Murray gave Wolmer's their fourth win from as many games, and put them atop the group with maximum 12 points, three ahead of Holy Trinity, who were dropping points for the first time in four games.

Thomas said the two teams' preseason meeting was a great indication of the test they would have faced yesterday, however, he said his players showed character, especially in the first-half, to get the result the came for.

"I'm thankful for the three points, but it was a tough one," he said. "But I was expecting this type of game from the Trinity team. We played them in the preseason and it was this type of game, tough, intense and end-to-end. So I have to praise my team, as they withstood the pressure, put in a workmanlike performance, and they showed character to get the win," he commented.

"Some of the times it is not the pretty football that wins. We came here for three points and that what we got. The second-half was much better. We should have capitalised on the chances we got, but such is the sport. We will now go back to the drawing board and prepare for the game (against Pembroke Hall) on Saturday," he said.

Holy Trinity were the better team for most of the first-half but they fell behind on the half-hour when Wolmer's got a rare break away, but Rivaldo Mitchell spurned the first chance, but crossed the rebound to Gibbon to score from close-range.

Holy Trinity continue to look better going forward, but they suffered another blow when Murray netted from a smartly taken free-kick at the top of the area.

However, 12 minutes into the second-half, Holy Trinity pulled a goal back when their standout player, Dillon Lawrence crossed to captain Roy Evelyn to score from three yards.

Yesterday's ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup results:

Group C
Camperdown 2-1 Jonathan Grant
Meadowbrook 1-3 Eltham
Charlie Smith 0-0 Norman Manley

Group G
Pembroke Hall 0-2 Waterford
Jose Marti 2-3 Edith Dalton
Wolmers 2-1 Holy Trinity
 

Today's fixtures

Group B
Ardenne v Dunoon
Calabar v Kingston College
Mona v Clan Carthy

Group D
Innswood v Denham Town
Greater Portmore v St Jago
Tivoli v Bridgeport

Group E
Haile Selassie v Oberlin
St Catherine v Excelsior
St Mary's College v Penwood

Group F
Campion v Hydel
Kingston Technical v Jamaica College
Kingston High v Vauxhall