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TITLE holders St Georges College, Excelsior High and St Andrew Technical (STATHS) progressed to the semi-finals of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup competition in contrasting fashion yesterday on a day when 17 goals were scored.Excelsior, who scored six first-half goals, were the most impressive of the three, thrashing Tivoli Gardens 7-0 to top Group Three on goal difference ahead of STATHS, who edged Kingston College 1-0.
Tivoli's Mark Hurd (left) holds Excelsior's Jerome Williams at bay during their Group Three Manning Cup encounter at Winchester Park yesterday. Excelsior won the game 7-0. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood) STATH are guaranteed a spot as the best second-placed finisher as only Waterford High can finished with seven or more points in Group Two when those quarter-final matches are contested tomorrow.
St George's took Group One honours with five points after earning a 2-2 draw with Calabar (four), while Walker Cup champions Jamaica College (four) were eliminated 3-2 by the previously pointless Wolmer's.
The semi-final draw will see St Georges versus Excelsior and STATHS versus the winner of Group Two, which could be either Waterford (six points) or Eltham and Bridgeport (three points each).
Waterford will face Bridgeport at Prison Oval at 3:00 pm tomorrow, while Eltham meet pointless Norman Manley at Constant Spring at the same time.
In the meantime, a brace from Neco Brett (23rd and 32nd) gave Excelsior a comfortable 7-0 win against Tivoli at Winchester Park.
Goalkeeper Odane Oakley opened the scoring for Excelsior with a long kick from inside his own box that bounced over his opposing number and into the net in the first minute of the game.
Lynden Reid (17th), Jhavionne Howard (45th), Juvanne Benjamin (75th), plus an own-goal from Damion Wright in the 20th accounted for the others.
In the other Group Three game, STATHS - behind a 23rd-minute goal from Carl Reid - stopped KC, with Mario Martin missing a crucial 73rd-minute penalty at Constant Spring.
St George's twice rallied at Constant Spring to salvage the point needed to progress. Akeem Barrett gave Calabar the lead in the 12th, but Marvin Morgan equalised in the 31st for St George's.
Calabar look well on their way to winning the group when substitute, Chevonne Marsh scored 10 minutes from time, but Carl Reid grabbed the all-important equaliser for the light-blues in the final minute.
Many-time winners JC, who were favoured to reach the semis, suffered a shock 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wolmer's, thanks to a brace from Christopher Waugh.
Waugh opened with a sensational strike in the 19th, but Ashani Walker equalised from the spot in the 77th. Claude Allen restored the lead for Wolmer's five minutes before the end, but Shamal Thomas restored parity for the Old Hope Road school in the 87th.
Waugh killed off JC's chances when he struck three minute into added time to seal the win for the Heroes Circle school
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