Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Adoah Nickle of Bridgeport High celebrates scoring his second goal with teammates, during the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup match at Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday. Bridgeport won 3-0. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Bridgeport High became the first team to qualify for the semi-finals of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup when they defeated Norman Manley High 3-0 in their top-of-the-table Group One second-round clash at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.

The boys from the Sunshine City were piloted to victory on a double from forward Adoah Nickle and another from his strike partner, Darren Mattocks.

The day's other match between Wolmer's and KC, which was played simultaneously at Constant Spring, ended in an exciting 3-3 draw.

Wolmer's are now on four points and stand a very slim chance if they are to advance as the best second-place team, while KC have now been eliminated.

At Prison Oval, Nickle, a bustling forward with a clever eye for goals, netted Bridgeport's second goal a minute from half-time. His strike followed a 10th minute goal scored by Mattocks, who was the culprit of at least three missed chances in the first five minutes of the game.

"The three points was a must and we were able to achieve that," said Bridgeport coach, Anthony Patrick. "I was pleased with the back line and overall performance, as playing without our national player (Andre Steele who is in camp with the national Under-20 team) we gave a good account of ourselves," he added.

Miguel Coley, in his first season as head coach of a Manning Cup team after long-serving coach Alrick Clarke departed for Calabar High, said his team performed well above expectations, and for that he was looking towards next season.

Showed grit

"It was a young team and apart from today when for some reason they came out flat, they showed grit throughout the season. I am proud of them," he said.

The battle for the other semi-final spots continue today with four matches across three venues.

In Group Three, St George's will play Jamaica College at 1p.m. in what is expected to be ding-dong battle, in the first game of a Constant Spring double-header and Eltham will face Waterford at 1p.m. at Prison Oval in the battle for Group Three honours.

In Group Two, St Andrew Technical will go up against Calabar at 3p.m. at Constant Spring and Excelsior will face Tivoli at 3p.m. at St George's College.