Mitchell rescues Wolmer’s against C’down

Rivaldo Mitchell led with a brace as Wolmer’s Boys scored a 3-2 win over high-riding Camperdown High as the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup quarterfinal round got under way at the National Stadium yesterday. In the day’s other game, St Andrew Technical turned back Excelsior 4-0.

However, in the feature match, Camperdown dominated the opening moments of the first half, but it was Wolmer’s who took the lead against the run of play in the 21st minute when Ronaldo Webster headed home at the back post from a free kick.

Four minutes later, Mitchell doubled Wolmer’s lead with his first of the game when he broke away and lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper, De-Shawn White.

But Camperdown kept their forays forward and eventually pulled a goal back on the hour when Wolmer’s defence failed to clear a ball in the area and Shaquille Bradford rifled a half-volley into the roof of the net.

Three minutes later, the east Kingston team were level at 2-2 when Tivelle Edwards latched on to a ball outside the area and hit a low shot into the corner of the goal.

However, a moment of individual brilliance from Orlando Russell put Wolmer’s back in the driver’s seat after he carved his way through the Camperdown defence before putting the ball on a platter for Mitchell to tap into an empty net for the winning goal.

Wolmer’s head coach, Alex Thomas, said the resilience his team has shown this season helped them to come away with the three points.

“We should have put away the game early, but credit to Camperdown. They fought and pushed us on the back foot. But we stayed focus and stayed calm and got the victory,” he said.

His Camperdown counterpart, Christopher Bender, was disappointed to come away from the game without even a point.

“We thought at two-all we could have gone on to win the game, but inexperience and poor concentration cost us,” he said.

In the opening game, Shemar Daley (60th and 77th) led St Andrew Technical (STATHS) in their 4-0 win over Excelsior High. Warner Brown opened the scoring in the 10th minute with his fourth goal in three matches. Rusean McFarquhar netted STATHS’ other goal in the 61st minute.

Wolmer’s lead Group B with three points ahead of Camperdown, Kingston College and Charlie Smith. Charlie Smith and Kingston College will meet this evening in the group’s other game. In Group B, St Andrew sit out front, also on three points. Excelsior are yet to get off the mark while Jamaica College and St George’s play their opening game in the group’s other match today at the same venue.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday’s ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup results:

Excelsior 0-4 STATHS

Wolmer’s 3-2 Camperdown

Today’s fixtures:

Charlie Smith vs KC N’tl Stadium 2 p.m.

STGC vs JC N’tl Stadium 4 p.m.