As the historic walls of Kingston College gear up to mark their centenary in April 2025, the North Street powerhouse added another glittering chapter to their storied legacy when they clinched their 17th ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup title with a commanding 3-1 victory over first-time finalists St Catherine High at the National Stadium on Friday.
Goals from 15-year-old sensation Jaeshawn Edwards (36th), Demario Dailey (45+1), and Deshawn Byfield (54th) ensured that Kingston College reclaimed the crown they last held in 2021.
A 61st-minute own goal by Byfield served as a consolation for St Catherine, who nonetheless earned plaudits for their spirited debut appearance in the final.
Editor’s Note: Guyanese duo Kvist Paul and Matrim Martin played for Kingston College, with the latter being one of seven goalscorers for the champions during the campaign
Historic win for coach Reynolds
The win was especially meaningful for Head coach Vassell Reynolds, who etched his name into an elite group of coaches to have won both the daCosta Cup and the Manning Cup.
A subdued Reynolds said achieving the milestone with a school so rich in history and tradition is something he will always cherish.
“It is great to be among Frank Brown and Jackie Walters to have won the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup; it is something that I have dreamed of, and I am very proud of it, but it is all praise to the boys. Another good thing is that April will catch us with the trophy in our cabinet, so at least we will have it to celebrate with, and this is what we wanted to cap it off, so I am very proud,” Reynolds said in a post-game interview.
Kingston College began with intent, fashioning the game’s first real chance in the 11th minute when Dailey’s left-footed strike was comfortably saved by Omarion Brown in goal for St Catherine.
St Catherine showed glimpses of their attacking potential in the 27th minute when Lavaughn Taylor’s shot was blocked by Kingston College’s Kvist Paul in a play that sparked cheers from the crowd.
From there, both teams rode their respective wave of momentum and displayed attacking promise but struggled to find decisive finishes early on.
It was until six minutes past the half-hour mark that Kingston College broke the deadlock when Damaine Smith’s pinpoint cross found an unmarked Edwards, whose composed header nestled into the back of the net.
Kingston College pressed the ascendancy from there and again went close in the 41st through Dailey, whose left-footed effort was charged down by St Catherine’s defender Romaine Walters.
Smith served up another weighted cross from the resulting corner, but Paul’s free header sailed over the crossbar.
They inevitably doubled the lead just before the break, as Dailey finished with aplomb from the centre of the 18-yard box after Byfield provided a perfectly weighted pass, following a parried effort from Brown to Matrim Martin’s initial shot.
With a 2-0 advantage at half-time, Kingston College were always poised for glory, and they extended their lead in the 54th minute when Dailey turned provider, delivering a cross that Byfield calmly finished for his 22nd goal of the season.
St Catherine, determined not to go down without a fight, pulled one back in the 61st minute.
Dwight Gentles’ curling corner caused problems for Byfield, who inadvertently headed the ball into his own net.
Despite this mishap, the ‘Purples’ held their composure for the remainder of the contest as they defended stoutly while also reminding St Catherine of their attacking threat, though they failed in the probe to add to their tally.
Reynolds pointed out that the victory symbolizes the enduring spirit and excellence of their football programme.
“This one is special. We’re not just playing for ourselves; we’re playing for generations of KC men and the rich legacy they’ve built,” he noted.
“We know that they (St Catherine) were very strong in midfield, so we had to crowd them out in there. So it was a different formation when we had the ball, and a different formation when we were out of possession. I thought the boys stuck to that very well, so it was a well-executed plan, and you don’t want it any better than that,” Reynolds said.
Meanwhile, for St Catherine’s assistant coach, Donovan Lofters, the result marked the end of an impressive journey, as he believes their spirited campaign is a foundation to build upon in the coming years.
“It means a lot to us… we are in the party, as I said, because we are here at the end, so there is nothing for us to be ashamed of. We showed some character after going down 3-0 and we came back and we fought. First time in the final and some of the guys were a bit nervous but I think we did well,” Lofters said. (Sportsmax)
