MANY-TIME champions St George’s College opened their Group A account with a 1-0 win over Waterford in the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/LIME Manning Cup at Waterford High School yesterday.

Shevon Stewart’s 72nd-minute strike was enough to separate the teams.

The lukewarm first half failed to produce a goal, but it was the hosts who enjoyed most of the possession. They came close to breaking the deadlock in the 25th minute when St George’s goalkeeper Cordell Irving got caught off his line, but some tidy defensive work averted the danger.

The resumption saw the insertion of Shane Watson for Waterford and he immediately made an impact when his left-footed shot from 25 yards was well handled by Irving. National Under-17 player Alex Marshall was then brought on for the North Street-based team, and he made the difference in the game when he assisted Stewart who fired home.

Campion College suffered their second defeat from as many games when they went down 0-1 to Jose Marti in the other Group A fixture.

The competition continues tomorrow with the lone game being contested in Group B where Excelsior will welcome leaders Charlie Smith High.