Mona are Manning Cup champions
Craig Butler-coached first-time finalists win coveted trophy
Published:Saturday | December 9, 2023 | 12:13 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
Mona High lifted their first ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup title last night after they edged the Ferry-based Hydel High 1-0 inside the National Stadium.
Demarion Harris’ fifth of the season was the all-important goal for the Craig Butler-coached school.
A visibly emotional Butler stated that he’s proud of what his boys produced throughout the entire schoolboy football season.
“I’m proud of the school and players. We did it together. Mona play systematic football, every player knew what they needed to do and their role from start to finish,” Butler said.
Playing in their first-ever Manning Cup final, Mona, started the brighter of the two and they found their opener in the 10th minute courtesy of Harris’ strike which came after an all-round team build-up. In a sweeping move, Mona custodian Akeem Bernard drove a long-searching diagonal ball that was headed on by Denzel McKenzie and came to the feet of Kshaine Gordon. The right winger controlled well and drove forward before delivering an accurate pass that was swept home by Harris.
Six minutes after their go-ahead goal, Mona were as again on the hunt for goal number two but came up short as Carlton Brown’s header went inches wide of the Hydel net.
Finding themselves on the backfoot, Hydel got a glimpse of the goal in the 28th minute through Dontay Stewart’s left-footed strike which lacked the power to beat goalkeeper Bernard.
In the second half, Mona went into a defensive formation and stopped every Hydel attack as the second-time finalists pushed forward in a bid to level the score.
However, Hydel did find some space in the Hydel area in the 68th minute but Kialand Smith’s left-footed strike again lacked the power to beat the Mona goalkeeper.
Five minutes to full time Mona’s Romarion Thomas came close to finding another goal but was denied by the upright after he dribbled past several Hydel defenders.
Last night’s defeat was Hydel’s second in a final following a 3-0 loss to St George’s College back in 2012.