Kingston College's Noel Mais (front) is floored by a challenge from Tivoli Gardens High's keeper Tashmar Green, during their ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup senior schoolboy football league match at the Constant Spring playing field yesterday. KC won 2-1. - Ian Allen/Photographer

Kingston College (KC) kept their hopes alive of progressing to the semi-finals of the urban area ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup senior schoolboy football league competition, following their 2-1 win over Tivoli High in Group Three action yesterday at the Constant Spring playing field.

In the second match of the double-header, St Andrew Technical High (STATHS) and Excelsior High played to a 0-0 draw. KC now sit on three points, one behind joint leaders Excelsior and STATHS, who have four points each. Tivoli remain pointless after suffering their second consecutive defeat.

The Purples took the lead in the 24th minute, courtesy of a fortuitous goal. The Tivoli keeper, Tashmar Green, called for a ball that was rolling into his box. He was under no pressure but kicked at the ball and missed. KC's captain Mario Martin pounced and slotted home to give his team the lead.

On the stroke of half-time, KC doubled their lead from the penalty spot when Noel Mais converted after Green had pushed him over from behind.

Tivoli played better in the second half and got a deserved consolation goal in the 64th minute, when Clifton Francis sped away from two KC defenders then steered the ball past keeper Marc-Anthony Harvey.

Equaliser

Tivoli then began to press for the equaliser, but the sending-off of Barrington Pryce and Rohan Parchment in the 85th and 90th minutes, respectively, derailed their efforts.

KC's coach, Wayne Fairclough, had more than one reason to celebrate.

"We need to win the other game against STATHS and then wait and see what happens," he added.

Dave Clarke, coach of Tivoli, believes his team self-destructed.

"I would sum it up this way: three goals were scored and we scored all three, but we lost the game because the two we conceded were based on two errors by the keeper," Clarke said.