Howard Walker, Staff Reporter
Wolmer's Samuel Sykes (left) stands over the ball after being pushed from behind by Ascot's Devriel Lewis during their ISSA/Pepsi/Manning Cup match at Wolmer's Boys School yesterday. Wolmer's won 2-0. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WOLMER'S BOYS registered their fifth consecutive win with a comfortable 2-0 margin over Ascot in their Group F ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup encounter at Heroes Circle yesterday.
Captain Jermaine Gardner converted a 66th minute penalty to ease the nerves of the home team, before Nicholas Beckett banged in a tremendous volley in the 78th minute to secure maximum points.
Wolmer's now have 16 points from six games, extending their lead to six points over second-placed Ascot.
Portmore-based Ascot were losing their second consecutive game following a similar 0-2 defeat to St. Catherine High last Friday.
Wolmer's with five matches remaining, look to have virtually booked a second round spot unless they really lose their way and falter badly. But their coach, Vassell Reynolds, refused to be complacent and cited the Spanish Town and St Catherine teams as possible spoilers.
"We have two difficult games away against Spanish Town and St. Catherine so we are still viewing it as a game by game situation until we are there," said Reynolds.
Wolmer's , winners of the competition 10 times, the last being in 1994, missed a lot of scoring opportunities which prompted Reynolds to be a worried man.
"I am concerned about the amount of chances that we are getting early in the game and I know further down when it matters most it will haunt us when we are playing better teams," he said.
Although losing his second game in four days, Vance Grant, coach of Ascot, is confident his team will advance to the second round.
"It's a must because we have about four more games and those games are sure wins. I don't see any obstacle right now to hamper us," said a confident Grant.
"We have a quality team and only about 60 per cent of the team played today. Surely we will advance to the second round," he said.
Grant who turned up with only 13 players, added.
"This game was an easy game. We could have beaten this team by five or six goals but I wasn't playing with my full strength team."
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
Group F
Wolmer's 2 Ascot 0
Donald Quarrie 3 Innswood 1
TODAY'S GAMES
Group A
Kingston Technical vs Jamaica College
Excelsior vs Mona
Group B
Calabar vs Dunoon
Charlie Smith vs Tarrant
Ardenne vs Vauxhall
Group C
Campion College vs Norman Manley
Trench Town vs Clan Carthy
Penwood vs St Andrew Technical
Group D
Kingston High vs Tivoli Gardens
Edith Dalton James vs Waterford
Group E
Bridgeport vs Holy Trinity
Meadowbrook vs Eltham
Kingston College vs St Jago.
