Mona High found redemption on Friday, lifting their first-ever ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup with a resounding 4-1 victory over Excelsior High in the final at the National Stadium.
Kshaine Gordon led the charge with a brace (52nd and 76th minutes), supported by goals from Carlton Brown (34th minute) and Marlon Cunningham (55th minute), as Mona capped their campaign in style after failing to defend their Manning Cup title.
Mona High players celebrate with the Walker Cup trophy. (PHOTO: Marlon Reid).
The win also marked the end of an era for technical director Craig Butler, who announced his departure from schoolboy football.
Reflecting on the achievement, Butler said: "I think my time in schoolboy football has been great; I believe it is good for development, not just for Mona but for the entire school system, as we focused more on development rather than recruiting for professionalism in the programme. I am just proud and happy that I could share this time with Mona and that we have a team that will continue to develop good young footballers."
For Excelsior, the defeat extended their Walker Cup title drought, which has lasted since 2008. Their lone goal came early, courtesy of Damarley Williams in the 12th minute. Despite an energetic start, Excelsior struggled to maintain momentum, with defensive lapses proving costly.
Head coach Keon Broderick conceded that his side fell short: "Defensive errors cost us dearly. When you make mistakes against a team with the quality they have in the attacking third, like this Mona team, they will come back to haunt you," he said.
Video courtesy of SportsMax TV.
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