JC close to hitting potential – Ferguson

EVEN AFTER another dominating Jamaica College (JC) performance, head coach Damion Ferguson still feels his team is yet to hit its true potential, but says his charges are getting closer to the consistent play necessary for yet another ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup title run.

JC dispatched Holy Trinity 9-0 in their game at Asheheim Stadium yesterday maintaining their Group B lead and all but securing their place in the second round

Kevaughn Wilson led the charge for the many-time champions with a hat trick in the sixth, 32nd and 45th minutes while Dahmani Berthier chipped in with a brace in the 34th and 51st. Contributions also came in from Jahmarly Bennett (53rd), Alecc Benny (60th) and second-half substitutes Shaheim Pratt (90th) and Jaheem Frazer (91st).

JC have now scored 44 goals and are yet to lose a game though Ferguson is keeping his team’s feet on the ground.

“I think the performance is still not where we want it to be. But we are definitely getting a little bit sharper, getting a lot more cohesive. Winning a game by a margin of 9-0 is always a pleasing feeling, especially against a traditional rival like Holy Trinity,” Ferguson said.

But Ferguson is not being lulled into a false sense of security, knowing full well his team can fall short of their own very high standards if he does.

“I don’t think we are as efficient as we can be. We still have an issue with the two we conceded against this same team in the first game. But the goals are coming and it is a step in the right direction,” Ferguson said.

Holy Trinity, on the other hand, have found themselves trending in the opposite direction. They remain in fourth place with six points.

It has not been an easy transition for head coach Nicholas Stewart, who is in his first season with the team and said that the indiscipline on and off the field caused key players to miss out, leaving his team on the backfoot from the start.

“There are some players who are out because of suspension from the school who should be playing in the team. This team is a developmental team. Some of them, it is the first time that they are playing football. We are trying our best but we don’t have as big a squad as JC. So when we lose these players, it is difficult to get back the traction that we had (earlier),” Stewart said.

Meanwhile 10-man St Jago defeated St Catherine 2-1 in their game, keeping their hopes for a second-place finish and automatic second-round place alive.

Daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday’s results

Group B

Jamaica College 9 Holy Trinity 0

St Jago 2 St Catherine 1

Group C

Haile Selassie 1 Tivoli 0

Charlie Smith 2 Edith Dalton James 1

Group E

Camperdown 0 Hydel 0

Mona 1 Wolmers 0

Papine 2 Kingston High 0

TODAY’S GAMES

Campion v Cumberland at Campion College

Excelsior v Clan Carthy at Excelsior

Kingston Tech. v Jose Marti at Kingston Tech.

All matches start at 3 p.m.