Last season’s beaten finalist St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) and St George’s College scored identical and crucial 2-0 wins over St Catherine High and Tivoli Gardens High, respectively, as the ISSA/Digicel Manning Cup quarter-final round kicked off on Saturday.

Playing in the second game of the double-header at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, STATHS turned back St Catherine High courtesy of goals by Andre Salmon (45+4 minutes) and Ajetai Marshall (50th) and moved to the top of Group 2 with three points.

In the other Group 2 game, Kingston College and Mona High battled to a 1-1 draw, with each gaining a point. St Catherine are pointless with two sets of games remaining.

St Catherine got the first chance, but Ronaldo Stewart kicked straight to goalkeeper Mark Roberts in the third minute of play.

Then in the 38th minute, the prolific Dwight Gentles crashed a ferocious shot on the upright from 35 metres that had goalkeeper Roberts beaten all ends up.

Then against the run of play, Salmon tapped home from close range following a mix-up between goalkeeper Omarion Brown and his defender on the stroke of half-time.

Another rush of blood to the head of Brown allowed STATHS their second goal as Marshall tapped home into an empty net with the goalkeeper nowhere around.

In the curtain-raiser, St George’s College dispatched Tivoli Gardens 2-0 but was hanging on for dear life for most of the second half.

The “Light Blues” did well without their 19-goal hero Brian Burkett out on yellow cards, but Malique Lorraine stepped up to the plate and gave St George’s a 26th-minute lead before Mathew Spence doubled the advantage in minute 39.

Tivoli Gardens, with a lot of individually talented players in Daniel Watson, Ryan Oneal-Francis, Shacquwell Henry, and the outstanding defender Shane McIntosh, came into their own in the second half and had St George’s on the back foot for long periods and should have really scored at least twice but for poor finishing.

Tivoli Gardens Assistant Coach Lance DaCosta rued his team’s missed chances to at least secure a point.

“First half we lapsed, second half we came back, got couple chances, but we didn’t capitalised and score,” said DaCosta.

“We have two more games, so we not out as yet, and as long as we start scoring goals we will be good,” he added.

Marcel Gayle, assistant head coach at St George’s College, said they just wanted to get the three points after an outstanding first half.

“We just wanted to get the job done today, and we did just that, and we turn our attention to the next encounter. All credit to the boys. I thought we stuck to the game plan and gave as good as we got,” Gayle explained.

“Nevertheless, Tivoli gave a good showing in the second half as they added more upfront, but we weathered the storm, and in that press we got couple we should have put away,” he added.