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• Purple reign: Kingston College clinches 17th Manning Cup title in centennial celebration year

  As the historic walls of Kingston College gear up to mark their centenary in April 2025, the North Street powerhouse added another glittering chapter to their storied legacy when they clinched their 17th ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup title with a commanding 3-1 victory over first-time finalists St Catherine High at the National Stadium on Friday.

  Goals from 15-year-old sensation Jaeshawn Edwards (36th), Demario Dailey (45+1), and Deshawn Byfield (54th) ensured that Kingston College reclaimed the crown they last held in 2021.

  A 61st-minute own goal by Byfield served as a consolation for St Catherine, who nonetheless earned plaudits for their spirited debut appearance in the final.

  The win was especially meaningful for Head coach Vassell Reynolds, who etched his name into an elite group of coaches to have won both the daCosta Cup and the Manning Cup.

  

  A subdued Reynolds said achieving the milestone with a school so rich in history and tradition is something he will always cherish.

  “It is great to be among Frank Brown and Jackie Walters to have won the daCosta Cup and Manning Cup; it is something that I have dreamed of, and I am very proud of it, but it is all praise to the boys. Another good thing is that April will catch us with the trophy in our cabinet, so at least we will have it to celebrate with, and this is what we wanted to cap it off, so I am very proud,” Reynolds said in a post-game interview.

  Kingston College began with intent, fashioning the game’s first real chance in the 11th minute when Dailey’s left-footed strike was comfortably saved by Omarion Brown in goal for St Catherine.

  St Catherine showed glimpses of their attacking potential in the 27th minute when Lavaughn Taylor’s shot was blocked by Kingston College’s Kvist Paul in a play that sparked cheers from the crowd.

  From there, both teams rode their respective wave of momentum and displayed attacking promise but struggled to find decisive finishes early on.

  

  It was until six minutes past the half-hour mark that Kingston College broke the deadlock when Damaine Smith’s pinpoint cross found an unmarked Edwards, whose composed header nestled into the back of the net.

  Kingston College pressed the ascendancy from there and again went close in the 41st through Dailey, whose left-footed effort was charged down by St Catherine’s defender Romaine Walters. Smith served up another weighted cross from the resulting corner, but Paul’s free header sailed over the crossbar.

  They inevitably doubled the lead just before the break, as Dailey finished with aplomb from the centre of the 18-yard box after Byfield provided a perfectly weighted pass, following a parried effort from Brown to Matrim Martin’s initial shot.

  With a 2-0 advantage at half-time, Kingston College were always poised for glory, and they extended their lead in the 54th minute when Dailey turned provider, delivering a cross that Byfield calmly finished for his 22nd goal of the season.

  St Catherine, determined not to go down without a fight, pulled one back in the 61st minute. Dwight Gentles’ curling corner caused problems for Byfield, who inadvertently headed the ball into his own net.

  Despite this mishap, the ‘Purples’ held their composure for the remainder of the contest as they defended stoutly while also reminding St Catherine of their attacking threat, though they failed in the probe to add to their tally.

  

  Reynolds pointed out that the victory symbolizes the enduring spirit and excellence of their football programme.

  “This one is special. We’re not just playing for ourselves; we’re playing for generations of KC men and the rich legacy they’ve built,” he noted.

  “We know that they (St Catherine) were very strong in midfield, so we had to crowd them out in there. So it was a different formation when we had the ball, and a different formation when we were out of possession. I thought the boys stuck to that very well, so it was a well-executed plan, and you don’t want it any better than that,” Reynolds said.

  Meanwhile, for St Catherine’s assistant coach, Donovan Lofters, the result marked the end of an impressive journey, as he believes their spirited campaign is a foundation to build upon in the coming years.

  “It means a lot to us... we are in the party, as I said, because we are here at the end, so there is nothing for us to be ashamed of. We showed some character after going down 3-0 and we came back and we fought. First time in the final and some of the guys were a bit nervous but I think we did well,” Lofters said.

• Burnley 1-1 Middlesbrough: Dijksteel strike denies hosts top spot

  Middlesbrough denied Burnley a chance to go top of the Championship table by holding them to a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor. 

  Scott Parker's side could have put pressure on Sheffield United with a win, but now find themselves one point behind the leaders, who face West Brom on Sunday. 

  The visitors broke the deadlock in the 13th minute when Daniel Barlaser released Anfernee Dijksteel, with the Middlesbrough right-back dinking cleverly over James Trafford.

  But Burnley drew level before the interval when Connor Roberts' looped strike from distance caught Seny Dieng off his line. 

  Burnley's hopes of building on the equaliser after the break did not materialise as Boro created the better chances, with Tommy Conway and Delano Burgzorg denied by Trafford early in the second half. 

  Middlesbrough, meanwhile, sit in fifth place and are one point above Watford, who have a game in hand. 

  Data Debrief: Burnley defence finally breached 

  Burnley had kept a clean sheet in each of their last five Championship matches heading into this contest, but that run was brought to an end by Michael Carrick's side on Friday. 

  Parker's team attempted 15 shots in the game, which was five more than their opponents, but only managed an expected goals (xG) total of 0.67, while Boro managed an xG of 0.88. 

  However, the Clarets are still unbeaten in six league matches (W4 D2) and have the best defence in the league - conceding just seven goals in 19 matches. The result also meant that they are now unbeaten in their last six league meetings against Boro (W3 D3).

• Inzaghi lauds Martinez display despite missed chances in Parma triumph

  Simone Inzaghi showered praise on Inter captain Lautaro Martinez's display in their 3-1 win over Parma on Friday, despite the Argentine failing to find the back of the net. 

  Inter extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches in all competitions with their latest victory, with Federico Dimarco, Nicolo Barella and Marcus Thuram on target. 

  But it proved to be a frustrating night for Martinez, who saw a chance to score Inter's fourth from the penalty spot snatched from his grasp following a review by VAR. 

  The Argentine ended the contest having registered more shots (three) and the joint-most touches in the opposition box (five), while also accumulating a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 0.77 to Inter's 2.31 total.

  But Inzaghi lauded Martinez's overall display at the San Siro, which saw only Alessandro Bastoni (nine) compete in more duels than his captain (seven). 

  "He's hugely important. His recovery play at the end was a great signal," Inzaghi said. 

  "As a former striker, I understand the pressure of scoring, but he needs to stay calm and keep helping the team like that. The goals will come, they always do for him."

  The only blemish on Inter's display was Matteo Darmian's late own-goal, with the former Manchester United defender turning into his own net nine minutes from time. 

  Only Juventus (eight), Napoli (nine), Fiorentina (10) and Empoli (14) have conceded more goals than Inter (15) in Serie A this term, leaving Inzaghi frustrated at the way his side let in a needless goal at full-time.

  "I'm very satisfied with what the lads achieved. We showed aggression and focus against a team that has been playing really well. I’m very happy," Inzaghi said.

  "The only downside was the goal we conceded. It wasn’t deserved. If I had to pick one thing to criticise, it would be that.

  "But overall, I’m very happy with the team’s performance."

  Up next for Inter is an away trip to Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday, before returning to league action against Lazio six days later. 

  Their fixture against Leverkusen starts a run of five games in 18 days, and Inzaghi insisted that every member of his squad would be needed for the upcoming games.

  "I’ve got 25 players, including goalkeepers, and I wouldn’t trade them for anyone from another team," he said.

  "We've got a demanding schedule ahead, including the Supercoppa. It’ll be tougher for us, but we’ve known that from the start."