Calabar High rallied from a first minute goal to beat Bridgeport High 2-1 to move to the top of Zone D in the ISSA/Digicel/Gatorade Manning Cup Football Competition at Bridgeport High yesterday.

Rayon Swire fired the home team ahead in the first minute of play, but second-half goals from Kyle Scott (53rd) and Jahmarley Thomas (93rd) secured the full points for the Marvin Tate-coached Calabar.

The victory put Calabar atop the points standing with 17 points, one more than Bridgeport, who were losing their first match of the season, and Innswood, who blanked St Mary’s College 4-0.

However, Bridgeport and Innswood have played a game less than Calabar, but Innswood will have to face the improving Calabar in one of their two remaining games.

Bridgeport will face lesser opponents in Tivoli (10 points) and St Mary’s College (three points) and are favoured to top the group.

Yesterday the visitors had hardly settled down when Swire fired home.

Calabar came into their own in the second-half and eight minutes after the break Scott levelled the score with a low free-kick that beat goalkeeper Oral Williams from 25 yards out.

Bridgeport then seized the initiative and forced their opponents on the backfoot. But Joseph Clarke and Leon Leabourne were pillars of strength in the Calabar defence and they kept their opponents at bay despite some close misses by the home team.

But with the game heading for draw, Thomas picked up a loose ball some 30 yards out from goal and unleashed a rocket that goalkeeper Williams could only parry into his own goal.

In the other Zone D game, Tivoli Gardens turned back Haile Selassie 2-1 with goals from Richard Palmer and Paul McAnuff.

Meanwhile, over in Zone A, Excelsior continue to lead Norman Manley on goal difference after the teams battled to a 0-0 draw.

Both teams are now locked on 13 points from six games. Penwood are third on nine points, after their 3-0 win over Greater Portmore in the group’s other match.

In Zone G, Charlie Smith stretched their lead at the top of the table to six points after they beat Meadowbrook 6-1. But their main challengers Kingston College failed to keep pace after their game against Pembroke Hall was rained out.

Lennox Russell netted a brace for the Jerome Waite-coached Charlie Smith, with other strikes coming from Aruna Anderson, Shamar Walsh, Rayon Paisley and Tamar Edwards.

They now have 22 points, with KC second on 16 points and St Andrew Technical, who stopped Ardenne on a lone strike from Romario Strachan, are third with 14 points.

Meanwhile, in the lone game from Zone F, Wolmer’s failed to take maximum points for the first time in eight matches, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by lowly St Andrew College.

In today’s games, St Jago host Camperdown and Waterford entertain Jamaica College in Zone B.

In Zone C, Hydel oppose Cumberland, St George’s play Dunoon and Denham Town face Clan Carthy.

In Zone E, Holy Trinity take on Trench Town, Ascot play Spanish Town and St Catherine meet Jonathan Grant, while in Zone F, Jose Marti take on Kingston Technical and Donald Quarrie play Oberlin.

All games start at 3:30 pm.