In David Martin we trust

Kingston College (KC) head coach Ludlow Bernard and captain Jemone Barclay said they trusted in goalkeeper David Martin’s big-game pedigree to carry them to the finish line, as his penalty shoot-out heroics spearheaded their latest ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup title.

KC defeated Jamaica College (JC) 5-4 on penalties in last Saturday’s final at Stadium East, with Martin making the decisive stop in the sudden-death sixth round, sending the title back to North Street for the 16th time.

However, given different circumstances, Martin wouldn’t have been assigned the starring role in KC’s title triumph with the teams locked at 1-1 after regulation. There were plans for him to be substituted earlier. While concerned about Martin’s penalty-saving form in training, Bernard said that the player’s declaration of his readiness to deliver alleviated any doubts he had.

“As a matter of fact, he wasn’t the designated goalkeeper for this trip. I think the changes that we made probably created a situation whereby he had to remain on the pitch,” Bernard told The Gleaner. The KC coach then revealed something the player told him before the penalty shoot-out.

BUILT FOR OCCASION

“He came to me before the penalties and said ‘Coach, I am built for these occasions’,” Bernard said.That faith was repaid as Martin produced the save to deny JC’s Jaheem Fraser, to the delight of his teammates. Barclay said that his trust never wavered in Martin, given his past success.

“Any player out there is a player that we trust. If we don’t trust you, then you wouldn’t be on the team,” Barclay said. “David Martin is a very good goalkeeper. This is not his first rodeo. On the day, he was the person to trust. He gave everything in training and in the game. We were never worried.”

Since leaving Tivoli High for KC in 2017, Martin has helped the school capture the all-island Under-16 title, the 2019 ISSA Champions Cup, and now, this year’s Manning Cup. With his past performances, Bernard said Martin was the man for the job.

“He has come up trumps on many occasions over the last two played seasons. So I knew exactly what he is capable of,” Bernard said. “I knew he only wanted (to save) one because I was confident that my shooters would all score.”