Bridgeport, JC for final

Robert Bailey, Freelance Writer

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Bridgeport High and Jamaica College will contest this year's final of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup following semi-final victories over Waterford and Kingston College (KC) respectively in a doubleheader at Harbour View Mini-Stadium yesterday.

In the opening, St. Catherine derby, a strike by former national Under-17 representative Andre Steele, in the 109th minute, carried Bridgeport to a 1-0 extra time victory over Waterford after the teams had played to a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation time.

Anthony Patrick, coach of Bridgeport, was delighted with his team's performance.

'We dominated'

"I am definitely happy with how we played because we dominated the first half, but didn't put away the chances. However, our national player stepped up and scored a wonderful goal for us and that was what made the difference," said Patrick.

In the day's feature game, JC, led by a brace from Anthony Grant, registered a comfortable 2-0 victory over old rivals KC.

Grant scored his goals in 20th and 65th minutes.

Alfred Henry, coach of JC, was naturally delighted by his team's performance.

"I motivate my players to play the best at all times and I think we got about 90 per cent out of them today," said Henry. "There is a lot more to come, but I won't say what right now.

"I didn't know anything about KC but what I know about my team is that whenever we go out there to play we make sure we dominate the game. "As a result we came away with the win."

Inexperience

Wayne Fairclough, the coach of KC, said, "I think inexperience got the better of us today. I think that JC played well, they are an experienced bunch, but I think that our players came here today knowing that we had to win but lack of experience got the better of us.

"We got chances in the second half and we didn't make use of them and JC capitalised," he said.

The final will be played on Saturday at the National Stadium.