Williams hails valiant Charlie Smith
Published:Sunday | October 2, 2022 | 12:57 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
HAPHAZARD PREPARATIONS as well as logistical issues with the adjusted kick-off times could have been a recipe for disaster for Charlie Smith.
Instead, head coach Eugene Williams would end up praising the fighting spirit his team displayed in their 2-1 win over Haile Selassie High in their ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup game at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex yesterday.
Steven Emmanuel and Dillon Simpson scored in each half as Charlie Smith surged to the top of Group C, extending their unbeaten run to six games. Chevaughn Brown scored the lone goal for Haile Selassie in the 90th minute.
The match, scheduled to kick off at 3:30 pm, was moved up to 1 pm, posing some challenges for the team, according to Williams. However, Williams said that his team displayed a warrior’s spirit, motivated by the opportunity to take pole position in the group.
“We went through so much adversity to play this game because the kick-off time got changed and things happened, because some of the players didn’t even know the time to turn up. (Even) with the changes, we wanted to be ahead of the zone, so they were more determined to get the result,” Williams told The Sunday Gleaner.
SPECIAL VICTORY
Charlie Smith entered the game two points behind leaders Haile Selassie, who had won their last four games. What made the victory special in Williams’ eyes was that they did it without having a proper training session, with the severe weather conditions last week resulting in various interruptions to their routine.
“The fighting spirit (was there). They really gave their heart today (yesterday) because, when you really look at it, training has been disrupted for a few days now because of the inclement weather. They had to dig deep. I couldn’t tell you the last time we had a proper training session.”
Haile Selassie head coach Linval Dixon expected another tight affair similar to their first meeting on September 12 when they drew 0-0 in the season opener. Like the first game, they had their opportunities but Dixon said that their finishing ultimately let them down.
“On the day, we didn’t perform the way we ought to. We created some opportunities, especially in the first 10 minutes. In that department, we had to do a little bit more work in scoring goals. Charlie Smith got their two chances and made use of them,” Dixon said.
Charlie Smith are now on 14 points, just one behind Haile Selassie, who drop to second place with 13.
Yesterday’s Results
o Ardenne High 0 St George’s College 3
o Calabar High 0 Kingston College 3
o Meadowbrook High 0 Waterford 5
o St Mary’s College 0 Jamaica College 10
o Cedar Grove Academy 2 St Jago High 1
o Charlie Smith 2 Haile Selassie 1
o Bridgeport High 1 Edith Dalton James 1
o Dunoon Technical 1 Jonathan Grant High 3
o St Andrew Technical High 2 Norman Manley High 2
o Spanish Town 2 Tarrant 1
o Kingston High 0 Mona 6
o Clan Carthy High 0 Campion 1
Jose Marti High 5 Cumberland High 1
o Kingston Technical High 1 Excelsior High 2