St Catherine High will enter the round of 16 of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Manning Cup on a high after they topped Zone G with a 1-0 win over many-time champions St George’s College at Winchester Park on Friday.

Romaine Walters got the solitary strike in the 28th minute to ensure his team ended the first round unbeaten on 22 points with 30 goals to their credit. Interestingly, it was Walters’ first goal of the season and a welcome one at this point of the campaign.

St George’s College, who were suffering their first loss of the season, ended second on 19 points and, as a result, will be grouped with reigning champions Mona High for the second round.

Holy Trinity (seven points), Norman Manley (four points), and Papine (three points) were the teams in Zone G.

Donovan Lofters, St Catherine’s assistant coach, was delighted with his team’s showing.

“It was a spirited performance; playing against St George’s College at home was always going to be difficult, but kudos to our keeper; he kept us in the game, and we are happy to have him. It was a game of moments; we got off a number of chances and we took one of ours, so we are grateful, and this is good for our confidence going forward,” Lofters said in a post-game interview.

St Catherine dominated proceedings for the first 20 minutes, as they were more enterprising and also more threatening in open play.

After close shaves and half-chances, they inevitably broke the deadlock when a corner kick was headed back across in the path of Walters, who released a fairly tame effort that eluded St George’s goalkeeper Jordan Knight, who made a lazy attempt at a save.

St George’s College eventually settled into their game and went close through Matthew Spence, who pulled the trigger from point blank range, but Omarion Brown, who was impressive in goal for St Catherine, stuck out the right hand to deny him.

Minutes later, Brown, diving full stretch to his left, again came up big to keep out Shaquan Clarke’s shot from a distance.

Though the second half failed to produce a goal, it wasn’t for a lack of trying from both teams, particularly St George’s College, who created numerous half chances, which they failed to make count due to faulty shooting and more decent glove work by Brown.

St Catherine had their best chance to add to their tally in the 88th, when substitute Terray Harvey somehow skied an effort from close range.

Neville ‘Bertis’ Bell believes they could have won the contest, but for Brown’s brilliance between the sticks.

“I thought we deserved something from the game, but we didn’t score, and we gave up a goal that we shouldn’t have given up, but Omarion Brown kept them in the game. Congratulations to them and congrats to him; he was amazing. I loved the game; I thought it was a good schoolboy game, and we wanted to win or at least get a point, but we are good because we are in the second round,” Bell noted.

Mona High School will contest their first ever ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup final after they downed their more fancied rivals St George’s College 2-1 in a keenly contested semi-final encounter at Sabina Park on Friday.

The dynamic duo of Romarion Thomas (39^th) and Denzel McKenzie (56^th), got the job done for the Craig Butler-coached team, which had over the past two seasons placed the competition on notice in terms of their improved quality and, by extension, ambitions to stop all that came before them.

In fact, it was an 42^nd-minute own-goal by Mona High’s goalkeeper Ackeem Bernard that placed St George’s College on the scoresheet, and that Butler said spoke to their defensive fortitude, particularly in the second half.

Mona will meet the winner of the second semi-final between Kingston College and Hydel High.

“It should be a staple for any intelligent team, you have to have that component in your artillery, and we used it well. The boys played out their hearts and we are totally elated, the boys put in a lot of hard work and to get there (in the final), I am really happy for them,” an emotional Butler said in a post-game interview.

Following a stellar performance against Clarendon College in the Champions Cup quarterfinals on Tuesday, expectations would have been high that a repeat of that effort, would be good enough to put St George’s College into a long overdue final.

However, Mona with the fresher legs, used it to good effect, as they started brightest and caused a few early problems for St George’s defence, but failed to capitalise on the half chances.

It was not until the backend of the half that the deadlock was eventually broken when a long diagonal ball found Thomas, who made no mistakes from close range for his ninth goal of the season.

St George’s College pulled level three minutes later when Zabir Taylor was allowed time and space at the top of the 18-yard box to pick a spot and curl a right-footed effort that came off the crossbar and then off Bernard on its way in, to keep the game evenly poised 1-1 at the break.

Much like they did at the start, Mona were again more spirited at the top of the resumption, and regained the lead 11 minutes in, when McKenzie drove home a thumping right-footed freekick from inside the arc, and D’Jone Davis in goal for St George’s College, had no chance.

With that, his 11th goal of the season, McKenzie and company seemed content with the lead and dropped deep into their quarters where they were defiant in keeping their North Street-based opponents at bay and seal the historic feat.

For Neville “Bertis” Bell, his team was somewhat a shadow of itself when compared to their Champions Cup showing. Still, he took heart from their accomplishments this season when compared to last season, which ironically also ended with quarterfinal defeat to Mona High.

“It is always tough to lose any game, whether it is a semi-final or not, but we just didn’t do enough. But I am very proud of these kids, we did one better than last year, last year we ended fifth…never made the semi-final or the Champions Cup, so hopefully next year we will do even better. But congrats to Mona, they worked hard, and I wish them and the other finalist good luck,” Bell said.

Reigning daCosta Cup champions Clarendon College remain on course to secure a coveted treble, as they came from behind to down a gritty St George’s College 3-1 in a pulsating ISSA Champions Cup quarterfinal encounter at the National Stadium on Tuesday.

Justin Hayles (12th), Keheim Dixon (84th) and Tedane Williams (90+5), got the job done for Clarendon College after Jindu Powell gave St George’s College an eighth-minute lead.

Clarendon College will square off against Hydel High in one semi-final encounter, while Kingston College and Glenmuir will lock horns in the other. Kingston College earlier edged Dinthill Technical 3-2, while Glenmuir and Hydel were 1-0 and 4-2 winners over Mona High and Garvey Maceo respectively.

Both teams started spiritedly with St George’s College getting off the first warning shot and Clarendon College responded soon after. In fact, Clarendon College should have gone ahead at that point, but Deandrae Gallimore his effort High and wide from deep inside the 18-yard box.

Given the tempo at which both teams started, it was almost clear that the small turnout inside the grandstand would not have to wait long for the go-ahead goal, and it fell to St George’s College in fine style.

 After Zabir Taylor was taken down to the left of the 18-yard box, Malique Lorraine delivered a delicate chip from the set-play and Powell rose above defenders to head home.

But Clarendon College pulled level four minutes later when Hayles finished off a rebound from Dixon's long-range effort that was blocked by Jaedon Thompson, in goal for St George’s College.

From there, both teams cancelled out each other in the middle of the park, as they failed to create any meaningful chances at that point.

It wasn't until the backend of the half that Clarendon College once again surged forward and Christopher Hull should I put them ahead, but instead hit his right-footed effort over the crossbar from just inside the 18-yard box, as the score remained 1-1 at the break.

The second half started just like the first with St George’s College again on the front foot, as they enjoyed a good passage of play, and breached Clarendon College's defence a few times but failed to capitalise.

Their first fell in the 65^th to Adrian Reid, who got on the end of Taylor's cross but his right-footer at the fat post was charged down by two defenders.

Reid was at it again 11 minutes later with his shot from a distance by parried by Roshae Burrell, in goal for Clarendon College, on that occasion.

After absorbing consistent pressure, Clarendon College regained the ascendancy when Dixon followed up and finished off a rebound when Daniel Clarke’s shot from a distance was blocked by Thompson.

And with St George’s College pushing high in their bid for the equalizer, the Chapelton-based team helped themselves to another on a well-worked counterattack orchestrated by Dixon and ended with Williams tucking away from close range, seconds before the final whistle.

Winning coach Lenworth “Teacha” Hyde was delighted with the outcome.

"It was just a match up where the better team would win on the day. It was exciting and both teams put out there all and I must lift my hats to St George’s College for a hard-fought game. I told my players to be relentless and I must lift my hats to them as well, they did well and we just hope we can continue playing this brand of football and hopefully win one of these trophies,” Hyde said.

His counterpart Neville “Bertis” Bell took heart from his team’s display, as he conceded that they were beaten by a quality opponent.

"I give thanks because I thought it was a wonderful schoolboy football game. Clarendon College is a quality team and I thought we matched them well and I am proud of these guys. I don't think anyone thought we would be here at this stage of the competition, but we are here, and we have shown that we deserve to be here. We got beaten by a good team and I can live with that,” Bell noted.

Last year’s beaten finalist St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS), former champions St George’s College and the highly-touted Hydel High, all registered wins to kick start the quarterfinals of the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup on Saturday.

The Phillip Williams-coached STATHS continued their rich vein of form with a 2-0 win over Anthony Patrick's St Catherine High in their Group One encounter at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

In the other group contest played at Jamaica College’s Ashenheim Stadium, Vassell Reynold’s Kingston College came from behind to secure a 1-1 stalemate with the Craig Butler-conditioned Mona High.

With those results, STATHS occupy pole position on three points, with Kingston College and Mona High on a point each, as the battle for urban area schoolboy supremacy intensifies.

That said, Davion Ferguson’s reigning champions Jamaica College will have to play catch up in Group Two, as they were edged 1-0 by the Devon Anderson-coached Hydel in the feature contest at the Ashenheim Stadium.

Meanwhile, Neville “Bertis” Bell’s many-time champions St George’s College also brought their vein of form into play with a workmanlike 2-0 win over reigning Walker Cup champions Tivoli High, coached by Christopher Nicholas.

With the win, St George’s College head the group one three points with a one goal difference over Hydel, also on three points. The pointless Jamaica College and Tivoli High will have a chance to get on the board when they square off on Tuesday.

At the same time, St George’s College and Hydel will do battle, while in Group One, Mona High and St Catherine will lock horns with Kingston College and STATHS renewing their rivalry. The games are scheduled for Stadium East and Jamaica College.  

Saturday’s results

Group One

STATHS 2, St Catherine 0

Mona High 1, Kingston College 1

Group Two

St George’s College 2, Tivoli High 0

Jamaica College 1, Hydel 0

Tuesday’s schedule

Group One

2:30pm: Mona High vs St Catherine @Jamaica College

4:30pm: Kingston College vs STATHS @ Stadium East

Group Two

2:30pm: Jamaica College vs Tivoli High @ Stadium East

4:30pm: St George’s College vs Hydel @ Jamaica College