ISSA Super Saturday Festival hailed a success

THE inaugural ISSA Super Saturday In-Season Festival has been hailed a success, with coaches using the initiative to assess their teams and iron out the kinks ahead of their official start of the season.

The new ISSA format featured 29 matches across the island involving seeded Manning Cup and daCosta Cup teams, giving them an opportunity to test themselves against quality opposition in high-intensity matches without the emphasis being placed on results.

ISSA President Keith Wellington said the primary objective of the festival was achieved, as teams benefited from the competitive preparation.

“I believe that it was a very positive day. Schools found that it was beneficial to them in terms of their preparation. We are happy with the outcome, and we saw that the purpose of the day was well served,” said Wellington.

Wellington explained that the initiative was designed to provide teams with competitive action during the gap between the start of other competitions and their own opening matches.

“What we wanted was to give them an opportunity to play quality school teams at a high intensity, without necessarily focusing on the result, but more so on where they are in terms of the level of preparedness,” he said.

“We wanted to ensure that they had the opportunity to play these games in-between the start of the competition for the other teams and when they come into action. It’s one week away for the daCosta Cup teams.

“The Manning Cup teams have an extra week that they would still need to find some level of engagement; so yes, we thought that it worked well,” added Wellington.

At Cornwall College, the Manning Cup teams ruled supreme, with Kingston College (KC) recording a 7-0 victory over William Knibb High before rallying to defeat hosts Cornwall College 2-1.

Vauxhall High also enjoyed a perfect day, defeating Ocho Rios High 4-3 before getting past William Knibb 2-0.

Overall, Manning Cup teams recorded 14 wins, compared with 10 for the daCosta Cup teams, while four matches ended in draws.

KC striker Deshawn Byfield was one of the standout performers, scoring five goals across his team’s two matches – a hat-trick in the first game and a brace in the second.

Byfield said the matches provided the team with confidence ahead of the season.

“We have a great team, squad depth, and some very talented players, so we are feeling good. I feel excited and ready for the season. The games today were good for us and helped us to see where we are heading into the season,” said Byfield.

For Vauxhall coach Kyle Butler, the results were a positive step forward despite the logistical challenges involved in bringing teams together from across the island.

“I think this Super Saturday has a lot of potential, as a lot of people came out to enjoy the football; that’s what it’s about, sharing love and passion,” Butler said.

“Our team, with two wins, is a positive start and it’s a step in the right direction. You want commitment and discipline, it’s what we expect from our boys, and I believe we got it,” added Butler.

Meanwhile, Ocho Rios coach Veron Peterkin said that despite his team losing both matches, the close scores provided valuable opportunities to assess his players.

“The losses are viewed as an opportunity to observe player mistakes and make necessary adjustments before the official tournament begins. The team is successfully scoring points in matches, but the primary focus is on identifying and fixing defensive errors, or ‘holes’, in the gameplay,” said Peterkin.

“There is nothing to complain about. We are moving forward and we got a chance to play some of the players and see what they’re looking like now,” he added.

In Manchester, the hosts were the only daCosta Cup team to walk away with two wins, defeating Tivoli Gardens High 2-1 and Excelsior High 2-0.

In Kingston, Old Harbour High won both matches, defeating Jamaica College 1-0 and St George’s 3-1.

The seeded teams will officially begin their respective seasons in the coming week, with the Ben Francis KO and Walker Cup competitions getting under way.