Defending champions St George’s College and Bridgeport High School secured their spots in next Saturday’s ISSA Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup final with contrasting semi-final wins yesterday at the Harbour View Mini-Stadium.

Two-time winners Bridgeport edged St Andrew Technical (STATHS), 1-0, in the curtain-raiser, before McKauly Tulloch’s hat-trick led 18-time champions St George’s to a 3-0 romp over seven-time champions Excelsior High.

Tulloch, who started yesterday’s match with 15 goals, netted his 16th by beating three defenders inside the box and firing a low right-footer pass Excelsior’s custodian Odaine Hartley in the 40th minute.

The National Under-20 striker scored his second of the match in the 51st minute by controlling a throw-in by Kavel Smith, turning his marker and rocketing a left-footer into the roof of the net.

Tulloch, who transferred to St George’s from North Street neighbours Kingston College, netted his third of the match and 18th of the season in the 90th by beating two defenders down the left flank and beat the diving Hartley to his left, from a tight angle.

St George’s coach Neville Bell, who led the Light Blues to Manning Cup triumphs in 1992 and 2007, was happy for the opportunity to win a third title and the school’s 19th overall.

“I would love to stand here and say I am the coach and that’s the reason why this is happening, but these kids are good players and I got a lot of them as good players and I’m lucky to be a part of this,” Bell said, noting that his charges are hungry for victory after losing the Walker Cup KO final to Jamaica College.

“It’s not over yet; we still have a game to go against Bridgeport and we pray that we will do as well,” Bell added.

Excelsior’s coach Leebert Halliman conceded that his charges made too many errors against a clinical St George’s aggregation.

Earlier, STATHS went down 0-1 to Bridgeport – who played the last 20 minutes without their coach – despite dominating proceedings.

Coach Anthony Patrick was ejected from the bench by referee Gregory Daley for ungentlemanly conduct in the 70th mintute.

Andre Preston scored the all important goal for Bridgeport in the 14th minute.

The midfielder guided home a left-sided cross from Adoah Nikle low into the right corner to beat goalkeeper Diego Haughton.

STATHS failed to capitalise on many scoring opportunities, especially in the second half.

Andrew Christie came closest to scoring for the Spanish Town Road-based team in the 51st minute.

Having beaten the Bridgeport custodian, Christie’s shot was cleared off the line by defender Romane Bryant.

Nikle came close to doubling Bridgeport’s lead in the 42nd minute, but his shot was cleared off the line by Dujon Hilton.

Bridgeport’s captain Darren Mattocks was also denied his 24th goal of the competition in the 70th by Haughton, who parried his effort from 12 yards for a corner.

Mattocks told the Sunday Observer his team was not seriously affected by the ejection of their coach.

“From pre-season the coach said we have to learn to play without him on the sideline, so I didn’t even know that he was off, so it never affected our game,” Mattocks said.

“The team played excellently in the dying moments of the game, but if we had put away our chances earlier we would have come out (with) more than 1-0. Nevertheless we thank God for the victory,” he added.

STATHS coach Keith Nichols was extremely disappointed that his team failed at the semi-final stage for the second consecutive year.

“The team failed to carry out tactical instructions to capitalise on Bridgeport’s weak point becase they were going straight down the middle and I kept telling them to play down the flanks and they failed to do that,” Nichols said.

“Even though we created more chances, the forwards failed to score them,” he added.