KINGSTON, Jamaica — A brave header from captain Ravaughn Rainford in the 86th minute of play, helped Wolmer’s Boys’ earn a hard-fought 1-0 win over Campion College in the quarterfinal round of the ISSA/Digicel Walker Cup at Calabar High on Thursday.

This after the start of the game was delayed for almost half -an -hour following heavy afternoon showers that left the field waterlogged.

With a place in the final four on the line, both teams battled bravely and enjoyed periods of dominance without creating very many clear-cut opportunities to score.

The game appeared to be heading towards a penalty shootout to decide the outcome when Rainford found the winner. The centre back rose highest to power home a header from the third consecutive corner kick in a late push by his team to settle the contest and send the maroon- and- gold clad team to semifinals for the first time since 2015.

Winning coach Jerome Waite, acknowledged that both teams had put in a spirited performance in the contest.

“It wasn’t a walk-over. It was a knockout game. Both teams didn’t want to give away anything, so the defensive organisation right throughout the game was always intact,” he said.

He noted that chances were at a premium but was delighted that his team found the late winner.

“Chances were few but, in the end, we got one and we made use of it,” he added.

When quizzed about his team’s chance of going all the way, Waite was cautiously optimistic.

“That’s the objective. We will have to take it one step at a time. We have moved past the quarterfinals; the semifinal is next. I don’t know who the opposition is at this time, but we will take it from there. We would love to go all the way, but we have to take it in stride,” he reasoned.

He praised his battle-weary boys for their continued effort throughout what has been a challenging season for them.

“We are still having a lot of injuries. We have some players that are missing due to injuries and injuries have been plaguing us from the start of the season, nevertheless these players dug in deep to ensure that they continue to do well, and we have to give them some props for that,” said Waite.

With the silverware just two wins away, Waite has promised to keep his team focused on the prize as he tries to bring glory to his alma mater.

“Injuries are always there, and some are still playing with injuries, but we still have to ensure that we keep this unit together and see if we can go all the way,” he argued.

Wolmer’s will play Haile Selassie who beat St Catherine High 4-1 to end their two-year reign as champions of the Walker Cup.

Meanwhile, the other semifinal pairing was decided when St George’s College got the better of Excelsior High and Tivoli Gardens beat Charlie Smith in their respective matches.

The semifinals will be played on Tuesday, November 29 at the Stadium East field.