- Carlington Wilmot/Freelance Photographer
St. Jago's goalscorer Horace Sharpe (left) battles for possession with his Excelsior opponent during yesterday's Walker Cup quarter-final encounter at Ferdie Neita Park. St. Jago won 1-0.
Daraine Luton, Freelance Writer
IT TOOK Tivoli Gardens 101 minutes to charter their berth to the Walker Cup semi-finals while a first-half goal placed St. Jago on the same flight in the challenge for the Corporate Area's second most prestigious schoolboy crown.
Tivoli emerged 2-1 winners over Wolmer's while St. Jago held off Excelsior 1-0. Both games were played at Ferdie Neita Park.
In the curtainraiser, Tivoli took the lead in the 12th minute when Jermaine Gardner booted home past Jamie Roberts in the Wolmer's goal. That lead held until Kemar Flemming's 52nd minute header cancelled it out. From then on, Tivoli looked as if they would regret the numerous first-half chances which they failed to convert as Wolmer's were steaming.
Wolmer's came into their own after Flemming's goal and pressured the west Kingston team until regulation time elapsed. However, with four minutes gone in the second segment of sudden death extra time, Orlando Barclay produced a wicked volley kick from a Jemoy Fyffe cross which killed Wolmer's 2003 Walker Cup campaign.
Meanwhile, in the clash of the giants, Manning Cup unbeaten teams, St. Jago's Horace Sharpe scored in the 43rd minute to decide the game.
"We have proven ourselves today," was coach Danny Hartwaite's remarks after his team clinched a place in the semis.
"People were saying the reason we were performing well was because we were playing weak teams," Hartwaite said.
St. Jago dominated all but the first five and the last 10 minutes of the game but were unable to pierce Excelsior's net more than once.
However, they managed to extend their winning streak to a perfect 11 games this season.
Excelsior suffered their first defeat this season but coach Lebert Halliman said the loss would now motivate them to go for the big one.
"We would have liked to get the triple this year, but the Manning Cp more than all. We will just have to focus on that," he said.
Defending Manning Cup champions Norman Manley will play last year's Walker Cup winners Charlie Smith, while title gunnerrs St. Jago and Tivoli face off in the other game on November 19.
