Seventh heaven as KC march into U14 final

KINGSTON COLLEGE (KC) flexed their goalscoring muscles, battering bitter rivals Calabar High 7-0 in the semifinals of the ISSA Burger King U14 urban schoolboy football competition at Winchester Park yesterday.

KC were in fine form as they marched into the final to set up a North Street Derby against St George’s College (STGC), who clipped defending champions Wolmer’s Boys 1-0 in the other semifinal.

Devon Smith, head coach of KC, said the plan was to strike at Calabar early in the contest and prevent them from building any momentum throughout the game.

“My guys went out there and did exactly what we planned to. We did some training and we targeted our shooting and it paid off. We know the green and black are rivals for us, so we came out here and gave them no chances.”

He added, “Our mantra is to outscore any team and we came out here to put them on the back foot from early and it paid off.”

KC wasted little time in stamping their influence on the match as, with less than a minute on the clock, they took the lead through a well-struck effort from man-of-the-match Javaun Buckridge.

Buckridge returned to haunt Calabar’s defence just minutes later when he let fly a brilliant strike from just outside the box that left the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.

He would complete his first-half hat trick with another rocket off his right foot. Driving into the box, Buckridge fought through the pressure of three defenders to finish hard and low into the bottom corner of the net.

Skilful winger Kevair Tenant continued the onslaught, weaving his way past his markers. His initial pass to find Buckridge was rebuffed by Calabar’s defence but they had no answer to the looping header Tenant produced as a follow-up.

Ras-Renaldiho Harriott made it five before the half-time whistle, finishing from a tight angle.

Calabar grew into the game in the second half but their improved performance was not enough as Buckridge scored his fourth of the contest in the 55th minute to round off a brilliant performance before being substituted.

In the dying moments of the match, Khadian Monroe capped off the scoring, cropping up unmarked in the box to finish from close range.

Philip Robinson, Calabar’s head coach, said their slow start proved too costly for his team to recover.

“KC were the better team today. My boys started on the nervous side and once we went behind the eight ball, it was hard to come back,” he explained.

In the other semifinal, STGC punched their tickets to the final as they got the better of Wolmer’s at the Calabar school field.

The speedy Mahlik Solomon outpaced his markers to score the lone goal that sent his team into the final, dethroning the Wolmerians.

KC will face neighbours STGC to decide the U14 title on Friday.

Yesterday’s results

Wolmer’s 0-1 STGC

KC 7-0 Calabar