By Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer 
Jubilant Excelsior players hold the Manning Cup trophy aloft after their 3-1 victory over Calabar at the National Stadium yesterday. - Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
CALABAR'S HOPES of winning their first Manning Cup title in 27 years went up in smoke when they were dusted 3-1 by Excelsior in the final of the Pepsi/Sports Plus schoolboy football competition at the National Stadium yesterday.
Eastern Kingston side Excelsior, through goals from Ricardo Ximinies (28th minute), a defender's error that came from the boot of Calabar's Nakwayne Thompson (33rd) and Narado Brown (37th), overcame a 1-0 deficit on their way to registering the comprehensive victory.
Marlon Smith, the man whose two goals buried Camperdown last Saturday, was the game's opening goalscorer, netting a low header in the 25th minute. Then the thoughts of dethroning the defending champions like they did to Tivoli in 1977, swirled around in the heads of the Calabar players and fan base. But such glory never came to fruition.
Ximinies, whose strike last year against Bridgeport gave Excelsior a 1-0 win, came up trumps once more. He stole in behind Calabar's defence to latch on to an Anthony Christie cross and managed to squeeze the ball past the partially committed goalkeeper, Jermaine Gordon, to bring Excelsior level. With that goal, the tempo in the packed grandstand picked up as Excelsior supporters began chanting and beating drums, urging their team to go for more goals. Two more would come before the first half ended.
Thompson lobbed his 'goalie' when he attempted to cut out a pass from midfield intended for Brown and even before his team could recover from that shock, Brown rubbed salt into their wounds by unleashing a vicious left-footer from the top of the penalty area that flew past Gordon to his left, into the roof of the net.
CALABAR ON THE ROPES
The Leebert Halliman-coached Excelsior side forced Calabar on to the ropes from when referee Peter Prendergast blew the first whistle. Their attacking force showed up Calabar's defence very early in the game and forced early saves from Gordon.
The Calabar team however, came into their own soon after scoring - albeit against the run of play - but let their guard down a bit too early, and allowed the potent Excelsior team to retake the initiative.
To compound their woes, Calabar were forced to end the game with 10 men after Nicholas Gordon was ejected for a second bookable offence. Further, midfielder Triston Thompson missed two second half chances which could have changed the complexion of the game - a square from Kevin Jaminson, across the face of goal which required only a boot and a 30-yard grounder that beat goalkeeper Damion Reid and then crashed on to the upright before rebounding into play.
Despite the loss, Calabar's coach, David Hunt, said his team had nothing to be ashamed about.
"I am proud of the players. We went down to 10 men and we fought right down to the end. We hit the post, we were attacking ... we did not give up at anytime," Hunt said.
Of the season many described as jolly for his side, Hunt said: "The dream would have been completed if we had won this trophy. I expected to be here and I expected to win this trophy but congratulations to Excelsior."
Meanwhile, Halliman said winning the Manning Cup final this time around was easy.
"It was hard work defending but the final was easier than last season," he said.
Earlier, Camperdown ended their Manning Cup season with a consolation win by taking third place from St. George's College through a 5-3 penalty kick win.
Both sides played to a 1-1 regulation and extra-time scoreline after Camperdown's Chris-Lloyd Scott scored in the 34th minute to cancel out Leonard Walker's sixth minute strike in their intense battle fought under the afternoon's broiling sun.
