SECOND-HALF goals from Ashani Walker, Odane Gray and Nicholas Scott fired Jamaica College (JC) to a comfortable 3-0 win over Waterford High in yesterday’s championship match of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup schoolboy football competition at the National Stadium to grab their 24th title.

Playing in their first final at this level, the Portmore-based Waterford appeared overwhelmed by the occasion and surrendered the initiative early in the game as a confident JC unit was allowed to bully possession in the middle of the park.

Midway the first half, JC’s left-sided player Theo Campbell failed to finish off a slick move when his flambouyant chested-attempt was easily saved by Waterford’s goalkeeper Mikhail Harrison.

The Dark Blues from Old Hope Road continued to dominate proceedings for the rest of the half, but were often guilty of shooting directly into the hands of Harrison.

The second followed the same script as the first, but just as the JC’s players appeared to be getting frustrated at not being able to penetrate their opponents’ stubborn resistance, they were awarded a lifeline when Mark Higgins was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the 18-yard box.

Walker confidently stroked the resultant penalty into the net in the 62nd minute to send JC into a deserved 1-0 lead.

Just nine minutes later, Gray put his team 2-0 ahead when he pounced on a partial clearance from the tiring Waterford defence and lashed his effort past Harrison.

With time running out, Waterford showed belated attacking intent as captain Rohan Daley and striker Andre McFarlane tried desperately to rescue the situation.

JC’s lanky custodian Gary Whynter remained watchful, however, and dealt comfortably with those efforts at goal.

Three minutes from the end of regulation time, Scott hammered the final nail into the coffin when he headed into the net after Walker’s trickery had engineered an attack from JC down the righthand side.

Yesterday’s defeat would have carried added bitterness for the Waterford team, which was determined to take the title in memory of squad member Okeeffe Lewis, who died tragically during the second round of the competition.

JC, who last won the Manning Cup title in 2007, will see the victory as just reward for their attacking approach from the outset.

In the earlier third-placed play-off, a hat-trick from captain Jamiel Hardware led 2006 champions Bridgeport High to a remarkable 5-4 extra-time victory over Norman Manley High.

Hardware scored in the sixth, 35th and 36th minutes, while Jerome Martin (87th) got a late equalizer, before Kenrick Preston got the winner for Bridgeport six minutes into the first period of extra-time.

Kimani Young (17th), Lamar Thompson (23rd), Neico Reynolds (54th) and Neko Brooks (59th) got the goals for Norman Manley.

JC will seek their second Urban Area football title of the season when they defend their Walker Cup KO crown against Bridgeport High next Wednesday at Constant Spring.