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Patrick lauds St Catherine High’s commitment
November 12, 2024
Anthony Patrick, head coach of St Catherine High School, has praised the effort of his small squad, noting their quality and commitment as they enter their second match in the quarter-final round of the ISSA Manning Cup against Hydel High, with the intention of extending their unbeaten run this season.
St Catherine currently lead Group B with three points following their 2-0 win over Campion College on Friday, while Hydel sit joint second with Excelsior High with one point, having played out a 1-1 draw.
They have been enjoying an impressive run of games and are yet to taste defeat, having recorded 10 wins and two draws.
The boys from St John's Road have also netted 37 goals and boast one of the sternest defences this season, having only conceded thrice.
Patrick said while his team might lack the manpower as some of their opponents, they have made up the difference with a strong core of players who have proven to be game changers.
"I must commend the youngsters because when you look at our squad, it is not a deep squad. If you can find 12 then you can find enough," he explained.
"We have to look at the next game and taking it game by game. As I said, if you look at our squad it's not a deep squad so we're working on the youngsters and they are giving their all."
St Catherine will come up against a Hydel team who have endured a topsy-turvy season.
Under the guidance of head coach Devon Anderson, Hydel were runners-up in the first round after two close defeats to Eltham High and would start the second round with a crushing 6-1 defeat to Kingston College (KC).
Despite this, Hydel have also proved their resilience after weathering some poor results and recovering with back-to-back wins against St Andrew Technical High (STATHS) and Wolmer's Boys' to book their quarter-final spot.
Also in group action, Excelsior will take on Campion in the first match of a doubleheader, before a tantalising fixture between KC and Jamaica College (JC) in the second encounter of the evening.
The two giants will renew rivalry, as their last meeting in the Manning Cup came during the 2021 final where KC edged JC 5-4 on penalties.
Also on the day, defending champions Mona High will look to take all three points when they face off against Tivoli Gardens High.
Mona will be looking to return to winning ways after a 1-1 draw against JC in their last outing, while Tivoli are hoping to rebound after their 5-0 demolition at the hands of KC.
