St James High is the only former winners still in the race to win this season’s ISSA Ben Francis Knock out competed for by the zone winners from the daCosta Cup schoolboys football competition.

St James will lead a foursome into tomorrow’s semi-finals including reigning daCosta Cup champions St Elizabeth Technical (STETHS), Paul Bogle High and first time semi-finalist Manchester High.

St James High the 2008 winners will meet STETHS i n one game at Jarrett Park while Manchester high and Paul Bogle will meet in the other for a spot in Saturday’s final.

Last Saturday, Manchester High knocked out last year’s winners Glenmuir with a 2-1 win at Jamalco to advance past the second round for the first time.

Paul Bogle High broke the hearts of the Old Harbour faithful after coming from behind to win 2-1 at York Oval.

Kevin McFarlane had given Old Harbour the lead after just 23 minutes and led 1-0 at half time.

Kemoy Edmondson equalised in the 55th minute however before Damion Blake found the winner in the 80th minute as Paul Bogle High advanced to the semi-finals where they will face Manchester High.

At Jarrett Park, St James High were made to work hard against a determined Mannings School and heavy underfoot conditions for their 3-0 win.

Ricardo Morris in the 2nd minute, an own goal in the 48th and Jason Malcolm with a the goal of the game in the 78th minute ensured St James High will take part in their third straight semi-final.

Morris and St James caught Mannings flat at the start of the game, which was in pouring rain and after a run straight down the middle of the defence, easily beat goalkeeper Ruel Gordon.

Mannings rallied but despite promising moves failed to get past the St James goalkeeper Everette Nunes.

An unfortunate error three minutes into the second half saw Dino Brown put the ball off his goal post and into the back of the net past the despairing dive of Gordon as St James High doubled their lead.

St James then sealed the deal with a brilliant two man combination between Malcolm and Morris, the latter taking a pass at the top of the 18 yards area, then lifted the ball over the head of two Mannings defenders for Malcolm to run on to it and hit it left footed into the far corner of the goal.

St James High’s semi-final opponents will be STETHS who dispatched of Marcus Garvey Technical 2-0 with both goals coming in an eight minutes period in the first half.

National Under 20 striker Kevon Farquharson scored in the 17th minute to give STETHS the lad while Dravian Williams added another in the 24th minute.

Meanwhile the full list of 24 qualifiers for the Inter-zone round of the daCosta Cup was decided last Friday when Spalding High edged Knox College on goal difference for second place from Zone G behind Manchester High.

Spalding beat Cross Keys 6-0 while Knox beat Christiana High 4-0 but fell short in the goal difference.

The full list of qualifiers are- A- St James High and Spot Valley, B- Rusea’s High and Frome Technical, C- Marcus Garvey Technical and Browns Town, D- St Mary Technical and St Mary High, E- Mannings School and Grange Hill, STETHS and Munro College, G- Manchester High and Spalding High, H- Clarendon College and Lennon, I Glenmuir High and Garvey Maceo, J- Old Harbour and Charlemont High, K- Buff Bay and Titchfield, L- Paul Bogle High and St Thomas Technical.