By LeVaughn Flynn, Staff Reporter 
Bridgeport's Glenford Miller, left, and Norman Manley's Norman Bailey stretch for a loose ball yesterday at the Ferdie Neita Sports Complex in St. Catherine during the Walker Cup quarter-finals. Norman Manley won 3-1. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer
THE WALKER Cup knockout quarter-finals started with a bang yesterday when Norman Manley defeated 2001 champions Bridgeport 3-1 in the second of two games at the Ferdie Neita Sports Complex, St. Catherine.
In the first game of yesterday's doubleheader, defending champs Charlie Smith beat Dunoon 4-3 in a penalty shoot-out to advance to the semi-finals.
After 120 minutes of scoreless play, the opening game rested on the shoulders of goalkeepers Dwayne Pinto and Davion Foster. Dunoon's Marlon Benbow and Ronaldo Dacosta scored the first and second shots with relative ease for Dunoon against Foster and Charlie Smith's Owen Remekie and Joseph Smikle replied in similar fashion.
HOPE FOR CHARLIE SMITH
Foster gave Charlie Smith hope by saving a shot from Sheldon Sharpe and then Rameesh Simms was able to give Charlie Smith a 3-2 edge. Dunoon's Michael Blygen levelled the scoreline and then Charlie's Kimarley Campbell struck his team's fourth.
Then a save by Foster off a shot by Tafary Fairley secured a semi-final spot for Charlie Smith.
In the second match, Norman Manley mauled Bridgeport, scoring all of their goals in the first half while dominating the ball in the air and on the ground.
The first goal came in the sixth minute when Norman Manley's Bryan Baylis curled a beautiful corner on to the head of Reynard Thompson for a glancing header.
After assisting in the first goal, Baylis netted his own in the 20th minute but had to be taken out of the game after a collision with Bridgeport's goalkeeper Kemar Mussington en route to the goal.
In the 38th minute, Norman Manley found the goal that was to take Bridgeport's last breath. Their captain, Omar Longbridge, sent home a penalty shot after Nicholas Hoshing was fouled in the area on a counter-attacking play.
Bridgeport seemed wary of Norman Manley's defence and were denied single-handedly many times by centre-half Dwayne Williams. Bridgeport's lone goal came from a penalty by Kemar Grant in the 74th minute.
Outside of a number of offside traps Norman Manley fell for, their coach Alrick Clarke said that they played a well-rounded game.
"It took some time before the guys read the game and realised what was happening but they did capitalise on their chances up front. In the first half we played very well and built up a lead and then sat back and let they come to us," Clarke said.
Bridgeport put on a better showing in the second half but were motionless in the first. Bridgeport's coach, Anthony Patrick, said he was not taking the loss too hard as it allowed him to focus on the rest of the Manning Cup.
NOT FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS
"The guys were not concentrating and not following instructions. I told them to play the ball short and they played it long and I warned them about the counters ... we have to go back to the drawing board and prepare for the second round of the Manning Cup," he said.
Indiscipline reared its ugly head at the game as spectators hurled missiles at assistant referee Pernel Latouche following the sending off of Bridgeport's Oshane Blake for violent conduct with six minutes remaining. The game had to be abandoned for about 15 minutes as ISSA officials rectified the situation.
Norman Manley also finished the game with 10 men as Hoshing, who was booked earlier, picked up a red card - also for violent conduct.
The Walker Cup continues today at the same venue with Tivoli tackling Wolmer's at 1:00 p.m. and St. Jago facing Excelsior at 3:00 p.m.
