Defending champions Jamaica College (JC) moved one step closer to retaining the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/Digicel Manning Cup title after outscoring St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) 5-3 in a thrilling Group One top-of-the-table quarter-final clash at Stadium East yesterday.

The curtain-raiser of the double-header which was a repeat of the 2019 final, served up a five-goal, first-half treat for the limited spectators inside the venue.

STATHS’s prolific duo of Omar Laing (17th) and captain Omar Reid (25th, 41st) handed the Spanish Town Road-based school a 3-2 lead at the break, after Giovanni Mitto (second) sent JC in front, before Dwight Merrick (45th+3) added another.

However, the second-half was all JC, as Romaine Blake (55th), Tarick Ximinies (71st) and Marlon Pennicooke (80th), did the damage to push the “Dark Blues” to the summit on six points.

The win also booked the Old Hope Road-based school a spot in the semi-final, while Mona High revived their chances with a 2-0 win over St Catherine High.

Robino Gordon scored both goals for the winners in the fourth and 22nd minutes.

Mona joined STATHS on three points and the two will meet on Friday to decide who will accompany JC in the semis.

With this being their first meeting since deciding the 2019 final, the JC/STATHS encounter was always expected to be one of mouth-watering prospects, and it didn’t disappoint.

Things started at a frantic pace with Mitto giving JC the lead shortly after kick-off.

At that point, JC may have felt things were going to be a stroll, but STATHS were not about to roll over and after several attempts, were eventually back on level terms.

A long pass out of the middle of the park eluded JC’s defenders, allowing Laing to fire past Denzel Smith.

Eight minutes later the hapless Smith was again made to fetch the ball from the back of the net, after being beaten by Reid’s well-struck effort which put STATHS 2-1 up.

JC enjoyed a decent passage of play in their probe for the equaliser and they almost had in in the 40th minute when Ximinies’ well-taken free-kick from just outside the box came back off the underside of the crossbar.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, Davion Ferguson’s side soon found themselves with a two-goal deficit to make up when Smith advanced to collect a ball, but let it slip from his grasp into Reid’s path and the STATHS captain duly slotted into an empty net.

However, Merrick ensured that things remained interesting as he struck a sweet left-footed shot from an angle that beat STATHS custodian Jaheim Palmer all ends up to make it 3-2 at the break.

From there it was momentum J and despite the heavy showers making the underfoot conditions difficult, the champions never let it slip.

Blake, the stout defensive midfielder sporting the number six jersey, skipped his marker to the right to make space for a sweet right-footed drive that gave Palmer diving full stretch to his right no chance.

And the victors were rewarded for their consistent pressure when Pennicooke’s shot from a distance was mishandled by Palmer, allowing Ximinies to finish off the rebound.

The highly thought of Pennicooke then sealed the win when he expertly headed Merrick’s lobbed pass over the head of a diminutive Palmer.

Meanwhile, the late fixture could have gone either way, but it was Craig Butler’s Mona that asserted their authority early to snare the three points.

Gordon opened the scoring early to stun Anthony Patrick’s St Catherine when he finished off Keneldo Brown’s cross at the far post.

It was almost like deja vu for Gordon, as he again arrived late at the far post to finish off another pass from Brown, which eluded the grasp of Croccifixio Thompson in goal for St Catherine.

Yesterday’s results

Jamaica College 5, STATHS 3

Mona 2, St Catherine 0

Today’s games

Kingston Technical vs Kingston College @ Stadium East @ 1:00 pm

Excelsior vs Charlie Smith @ Stadium East @ 3:00 pm