Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

St. George's College's Judmair Holloway (left) tussles for possesion with Jamaica College's Paul Henry in action from their ISSA\Pepsi\JN match at Winchester Park yesterday. Jamaica College won 1-0. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

JAMAICA COLLEGE squeezed their way past St. George's College 1-0 in a heated encounter at Winchester Park yesterday, getting off to a perfect start to the 2006-2007 ISSA/Pepsi/JN Manning Cup season.

Substitute Elvis Watson stole the show when he was set free by a Keamar Daley pass, which saw him dart through to easily slot by George's custodian Tabari Wallace in the 77th minute.

Daley had always promised to be the architect of St. George's destruction as they often had problems containing the skilful, stocky midfielder.

However, St. George's may feel they should have at least come out with a point in a tale of two halves as Jamaica College dominated the first but the hosts certainly had the better of the play in the second.

Judmair Holloway hit a screamer from about 35 yards out, which had Jamaica College custodian Geovanni Gordon beaten all ends up, but the 49th minute attempt came crashing back off the crossbar.

Trailing by a goal to nil in the 85th minute, Kemar Malcolm's 20-yard free kick seemed to be goal bound, Gordon went full stretch to parry the attempt. With the goal gaping at his mercy, St. George's substitute Christopher Jackson lost his footing and rolled the ball wide of the open goal. "We didn't finish. If you can't score goals you can't win games and finishing let us down again," was the view of George's coach, Edmund Campbell.

"We came out better in the second half, but now that we have lost two from two we face an uphill task, but we have to get back," he added.

Coach pleased

Jamaica College coach Alfred Henry, who now sees his team in the early lead in Group E with two straight wins, was pleased with his side's performance.

"It always good to come away from home and get three points, it gives us a cushion going into the next round," Henry said.

"It was a hard-fought win. It should have come much easier but we'll take the three points," he said.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Group A: STATHS 2 Excelsior 3, Waterford 3 Dunoon 0

Group C: Innswood 2 Jonathan Grant 1, Kingston Tech 1 Charlie Smith 2 Group E: St. George's 0 Jamaica College 1

TODAY'S GAMES

Group B: Trench Town vs Donald Quarrie, Edith Dalton vs Mona, Spanish Town vs St. Jago Group D: Camperdown vs Kingston High, Tivoli vs Campion Group F: Ardenne vs Wolmer's, Pembroke Hall vs Kingston College