Jamaica College and Clarendon College are through to the semi-finals of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/Digicel Champions Cup knockout competition following hard-fought quarter- final victories over Garvey Maceo and Charlie Smith, respectively, at Stadium East.

Phillando Wing (12th) got the all-important strike for Jamaica College in the curtain-raiser, while Timar Dunn (37th) and Jaheim Rose (89th) propelled Clarendon College to a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Charlie Smith, who went in front courtesy of Andre Gibbs’ 35th-minute penalty in the feature game of the double-header.

Both Jamaica College and Clarendon College are joined in the final four by Dinthill Technical and defending champions Kingston College, who were 5-1 and 1-0 winners over St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) and Manning’s School, in the other quarter-final fixtures at St Elizabeth Technical High School Sports Complex.

The draw for Saturday’s semi-final at Stadium East saw Kingston College facing Clarendon College and Jamaica College opposing Dinthill Technical.

Reigning Manning Cup champions Jamaica College (JC) entered their contest against Garvey Maceo as favourites and started in like manner when Romain Blake’s delightful pass from the back found wing wide open and the striker expertly turned a defender before driving in a left-footed shot into the goal.

Garvey Maceo later found their footing and had a grand opportunity to pull level in the 27th when Cleo Clarke shuffled his marker to make space down left channel for a telling left-footed pass across the face of goal, inviting a sliding finish from Orlando Lawrence, but the player sporting the number 11 jersey failed to get the crucial touch in.

With the score remaining unchanged at the break, JC again started on the front foot in attack, but looked a bit shaky in their defensive third when Garvey Maceo came knocking.

In fact, the Old Hope Road team were made to carry out defensive duties for most of the second half as their Clarendon-based opponents were relentless in their pursuit of the elusive equaliser.

Garvey Maceo’s charge started in the 51st minute when Clarke’s swirling left-footed corner kick was tipped over by Denzel Smith and the “Dark Blues” defenders were called upon to mop up the resulting corner kick.

Dane Chambers’ side continued to look dangerous and thought they had won a penalty when Gregory Cousins went down inside the danger area, but their appeal was ignored by referee Steffon Dewar.

At the other end JC tried to revive their attacking game, but to no avail as they failed to create any meaningful chances to cause any real problems for Junior Stone in goal for Garvey Maceo.

On the hour mark, Lawrence outsprinted two JC defenders on the break before releasing a right-footed drive along the turf, but was denied by Smith with the faintest of touches.

The excitement intensified when a long clearance from Garvey Maceo’s backline drew Smith off his line to clear, but only in the path of Clarke, whose shot from a distance was headed away from goal by the retreating Xavier Davidson.

And, before JC could catch their collective breaths, Garvey Maceo were back in their faces, this time a well-executed free kick from Clarke was fumbled by Smith. However, Cousins, arriving late, steered the loose ball wide of the left upright.

With time winding down, Garvey Maceo had two late looks at goal, but again undone by a lack of composure and as such were left ruing what could have been.

The feature contest started in a similar vein when Clarendon College gradually gained the ascendancy as they fired a few warning shots at the “Junglists”.

However, it was Charlie Smith who hit first against the run of play when Gibbs outmuscled two defenders to send substitute Christopher Wilson on his way to goal before he was taken out by Jahien Rose in the danger area.

Gibbs later stepped up and calmly converted to the left of custodian Jameal Vassel going the wrong way.

But Clarendon College replied two minutes later through Dunn, who finished a sweet left-footer on the volley from inside the arc after Charlie Smith failed to clear their lines cleanly.

Charlie Smith almost found themselves up at the break when Tyreek Crossman’s left-footed corner kick was headed down in the pitch by Kareem Griffiths and bounced dangerously to come back off the crossbar.

After a slightly flat start to the resumption, Clarendon College came close to breaking the deadlock five minutes in, as it took a decent save from Chad Green to deny Rushi Parchment from close range.

Green was again called upon to keep Charlie Smith in the contest, albeit fortuitously. The lanky keeper was wrong-footed by Keheim Dixon’s shot from a distance, but his outstretched leg got in the way of what seemed a certain goal.

Like they did in the first half, Charlie Smith almost snatched the lead against the run of play in the 80th, but Vassel, diving to his left, did well to keep out Gibbs’ stinging free kick from almost 25 yards out.

And just when it seemed as if the game was headed to the dreaded penalties, Clarendon College were ironically awarded a penalty, which Rose stepped up and converted after Dixon was felled inside the 18-yard box a minute from time.