For 45 minutes Calabar High had Waterford High on the ropes but did not finish the multiple chances they had.

Those missed opportunities came back to bite them as they were forced to settle for a 2-2 draw in their ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup Group A game at Red Hills Road yesterday.

Dashawn Jacques opened the scoring for Calabar in the 45th minute before they fell victim to an own goal in the 56th minute. Raniel Stephenson gave Waterford the lead in the 68th minute before Shaquan Campbell got the equaliser in the 88th minute rescuing a point for the home side when it seemed that they were heading towards defeat.

Calabar head coach Andrew Price, while praising the fighting spirit shown to get their equaliser, was disappointed

“We dominated in the first half and got numerous chances, we should have put the game out of the way,” Price said. “Our players weren’t clinical in front of goal. Second half we were relaxed and brought Waterford back into the game.”

Early in the match Calabar did not allow any room for Waterford to carve out any attacks but were not decisive in the final third before Jaques found the roof of the net. Despite their struggles, Waterford head coach Kevin Reid implored his team to dig deep as they look to keep their hopes for a second-round place alive.

“I told them that we need to leave here with at least a point. So we got to fight for it. Calabar were not going to give us anything. But we showed heart, dedication, teamwork and team spirit,” Reid said.

That spirit saw Waterford get themselves back in the game courtesy of a Calabar misfortune when a shot deflected off goalkeeper Xavier Codling and rolled into the net in the 56th minute. Twelve minutes later it was Stephenson who put the visitors into the lead and his strike was almost the game-winner.

Price said that the own goal took the momentum away from a young team that, he said, is showing signs of progress.

“That was when we brought them back into the game. Giving up that soft goal spurred them on. But at least we showed some character to come back. They are learning on the job and we just have to continue working hard,” Price said. Calabar are stuck in fourth place with eight points.

A point puts Waterford on 11 points but keeps them in third place in Group A but four points behind second-place St George’s College who defeated Meadowbrook 9-0. However, Reid is still optimistic about their second-round chances.

“The fact that we didn’t lose it still gives us a chance. With four games to go, we just have to see how much we can get from those four,” Reid said.

daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com [3]

Yesterday’s results

Group A

KC 9 Ardenne 0

Calabar 2 Waterford 2

St George’s 9 Meadowbrook 0

Group B

St Catherine 10 St Mary’s College 0