- CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Oliver Blake of Kingston College (right) prepares to shoot as Camar Brown of St. Georg'e College closes him down during their Roper Cup encounter at Kingston College yesterday. The game ended 1-1, enabling KC to capture the Father Jack Roper Trophy on aggregate, 2-1.
Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
KINGSTON COLLEGE (KC) utilised their home ground advantage to capture all three trophies at yesterday's Roper Cup football festival at Clovelly Park and bragging rights over St George's College (STGC) for another year.
The famed 'Purples' secured the Roper Cup when the present day Manning Cup team laboured to a 1-1 draw but won 2-1 on aggregate after their Under-35s had won 5-4 giving them a one-goal advantage.
In a scrappy display by both teams, McKauley Tulloch, gave KC a 23rd-minute lead with a wonderful volley that flew past goalkeeper Jabari Wallace and nestled in the roof of the net.
The football jargon "hitch up" was so right as the ball never touched the ground after hitting the net and had to be taken down by the dejected goalkeeper.
But the 'Light Blues' clawed their way back in the game and earned a penalty in the 67th minute after the referee ruled that the diminutive Kemel Malcolm was brought down by Leaford Green in the box. Captain Christopher Johnson calmly slotted home to silence the home crowd.
CLEARER CHANCES
In a game that could have gone either way, STGC got the clearer chances in the end to win the game but were thwarted by some outstanding goalkeeping.
KC also captured the George Thompson Trophy contested between the Under-14 and Under-16 teams 2-0 on aggregate while the Pancho Rankine Cup was secured after the KC Over-35 Masters prevailed 2-1.
The day's proceedings started on a bad note for STGC when they failed to turn up for the opening encounter in the Under-14s, thus granting KC a two-goal cushion going into the Under-16 match to decide the George Thompson Trophy.
The Under-16s failed to break the deadlock and KC fittingly emerged 2-0 aggregate winner of the trophy in honour of a man who was unparalleled when it came to winning schoolboy titles.
In the Under-35 encounter, Sean Coleman netted twice as KC edged St George's 5-4 after leading 4-1 at one stage.
Oswald "Ossie" Tie, a STGC old boy, was this year's honouree for being an outstanding and worthy citizen of the KC/STGC family.
