REIGNING champions Jamaica College (JC) held off a spirited challenge from Group K rivals Kingston College (KC) to win a riveting second-round ISSA/ Gatorade/Digicel Manning Cup match 3-1 at Constant Spring yesterday.

Raheem Manning in the 45th and 86th minutes and a 39th-minute effort from Junior Flemming sealed victory for JC, while Shamala Ashman (62nd) got the lone goal for KC as the teams ended with 10 players each.

With the win, JC secured maximum nine points from three matches to top the group.

The KC team, which came into the second round as one of the favourites, finished on a disappointing four points and will now look to the Walker Cup final with St George’s College for its last attempt at silverware this season.

In the opening game of the doubleheader, Excelsior (four points) strolled to a 2-0 win over cellar team St Andrew Technical (STATHS).

JC and 1995 champions Charlie Smith will clash in what is expected to be a tantalising semi-final on Saturday.

St George’s, who took back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009, will face 1994 winners Wolmer’s Boys’ in the other semi-final slated for Friday.

Faced with a ‘must win’ situation against JC, KC began aggressively and could have gone ahead in the first 15 minutes.

JC’s goalkeeper Sherrick Davis showed sharp reflexes to block a close range toe-poke from KC playmaker Jorginho James.

There were a few other anxious moments for the JC defence, but by midway the half they found attacking momentum and forced hurried clearances from the usually assured KC back line, marshalled by national youth player Jhamie Hyde and Richard Wilson.

KC were put further on the back foot deep into the half when Wilson suffered a head injury and was substituted.

The defensive unit, seemingly unable to cope with the absence of the assured central defender, broke down easily and Flemming smartly nodded a ball beyond a flailing Tazeo Gilpin and halfvolleyed a close-range shot neatly past goalkeeper Reynardo Vassell six minutes before the break.

For the second time in as many match dates, proceedings were brought to a halt at the venue as a bottle was thrown at an assistant referee.

However, after a brief delay the game resumed and JC doubled their advantage when Manning struck a weak free kick beneath the clutches of Vassell a minute into time added on.

Just 15 minutes into the second half, KC found themselves in deeper trouble when Hyde was given a straight red card for violent conduct.

The ‘Purples’ rallied immediately, however, and pegged back their Old Hope Road rivals in their own half.

They were rewarded in the 62nd when Ashman latched onto a through ball behind the defence and sided-footed past Davis to pull the score back to 1-2.

Three minutes later, JC’s Flemming was also ejected for violent conduct to leave the resurgent KC in with a realistic chance of pulling off a win.

A frenetic 25 minutes of end-to-end action thus ensued as both teams sought desperately to score.

However, it was Manning who settled the contest when is deflected shot from the edge of the box nestled into the lower corner of the goal.