Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
CLAN CARTHY High, despite not being able to play at home in the first round, scored a hard-fought 1-0 win over Norman Manley in their ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup Group C game at Tinson Pen yesterday.
Kachi Sohpolter converted a 49th minute penalty to secure the red, blue and white-clad Clan Carthy their second win of the season and seven points following a 2-0 win over Trench Town and a 1-1 draw with Campion.
Norman Manley, winners in 1996 and 2002, now have three points from two games and are third in Group C behind St. Andrew Technical and Clan Carthy.
In a game dominated by Norman Manley on a hard Tinson Pen surface, it was Clan Carthy who broke the deadlock in the 49th minute when the diminutive Leon Powell was bundled over in the box and a penalty was awarded.
Sohpolter converted with aplomb to give his team the lead it never relinquished.
Winning coach Anthony Rose said his team will still have to go back to the drawing board and work on their fitness, having started training late.
"In the first half, Norman Manley had the better of us because they had the breeze. In the second half, we put the ball on the ground and knocked it around while controlling the midfield," Rose said.
Alrick Clarke, coach of Norman Manley, was a disappointed man as he sat and spoke to The Gleaner.
"We played a poor game. They weren't moving as we expected them to and looked timid. They didn't come to play today. If they don't play to go to the second round it's not my fault," Clarke said.
"You can only give them 10 per cent. They have to give the other 90," he said.
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Group A
Jamaica College 0 Kingston Technical 0, Mona 1 Excelsior 1.
Group C
St Andrew Technical 2 Campion 1, Clan Carthy 1 Norman Manley 0, Trench Town vs Penwood postponed.
Group E
St Jago 0 Bridgeport 3, Eltham 3 Holy Trinity 0, Meadowbrook 0 Kingston College 0.
