Jamaica College (JC) were crowned the top urban area schoolboy football team for 2019 after defeating St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) 5-4 on penalties in the final of the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup football competition at the National Stadium on Friday night.
The dreaded penalty kicks were required to decide the winner after the teams battled to a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation time.
At the end, JC secured their sixth Manning Cup title in seven years and their 30th overall, two years after the Old Hope Road-based team also defeated STATHS in a penalty-shoot-out for its fifth straight victory.
Goalkeeper Tarique Barrett, who was brought on for the penalty shoot-out, set up the victory for JC by saving Tyrese Smith's spot kick, the final one for STATHS.
Substitute Tajay Grant then sealed the victory for JC when he hammered past goalkeeper Ricardo Laing to hand the Dark Blues championships honours two weeks after they were on the brink of elimination at the quarter-final stage.
Tyrese Small, substitute Oquassa Chong, Omar Thompson and Phillon Lawrence were the other players who scored for JC from the spot.
The two semi-final games were also decided from the penalty spots. JC were also perfect from the spot in a 5-4 shoot-out victory against 2018 champions Kingston College in one semi-final, while STATHS defeated Wolmer's Boys 4-2 from the spot in the other semi-final game.
JC will now turn their attention to the season-ending Olivier Shield on Saturday, December 7 where they will play the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup winner.