Bridgeport High and Calabar High advanced to the quarter-finals of the ISSA/FLOW Manning Cup football competition despite contrasting results in their return-leg, second-round games at Constant Spring yesterday.

Bridgeport, who ended the game with 10 players, surprised Wolmer’s Boys’ 2-1 to win the tie by the same margin after the first leg ended 0-0, while Calabar High lost 0-1, but survived 2-1 on aggregate against Excelsior High, after winning the first leg 2-0.

Wolmer’s playing their home game at Constant Spring had to score and prevent Bridgeport from scoring. However, it was Bridgeport who jumped the gun and took the lead in the 19th minute through Shaheim Edmondson.

This meant that Wolmer’s had to win to have a chance of advancing. Five minutes before the break Mario Sailsman ran on to a defence-splitting pass from just above the half line to throw the Marescaux Road boys a lifeline, as the teams went to the break at 1-1.

Despite drawing level, the away goal stood in favour of the visitors, but with Wolmer’s threatening with the go-ahead goal, after the break Bridgeport continued to look pesky while going in search of more success.

However, Wolmer’s realised that they were in dire straits and as such they made changes to put the visitors under some amount of pressure, as they produced good scoring chances that were spurned.

Rivaldo English, son of former Wolmerian and national footballer Irvino, missed probably their best chance of taking the lead after climbing above the Bridgeport defence only the see his header sailing over the bar. As the game went on Wolmer’s indulged in some innocuous short passing, which lacked the urgency that the situation demanded.

Meanwhile, Bridgeport continued to look for that second goal which came from Carlyle Goodwin in minute 90+2 to make the game safe.

In the second game of the double-header, Calabar survived an energetic Excelsior High, whose narrow 1-0 win was insufficient.

Calabar, who had a two-goal cushion, allowed the Mountain View boys some space in the opening salvo, but after Thorne Buchanan reduced the deficit with a tremendous left-footed shot from some 30 yards out in the 14th minute, Calabar awoke from their slumber and took heed of a serious threat building.

In the late game at Stadium East, Kingston College defeated Tivoli Gardens High 6-0 to win the tie 10-1 on aggregate.

— Hurbun Williams