Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Bridgeport High School's goalscorer, Andre Clennon (left), prepares to shoot as St George's Aaron Spence chases during yesterday's ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup match at Waterford High. Bridgeport won 1-0. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Bridgeport managed to slip their way past a determined St George's, coming away with a 1-0 victory in a bruising ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup Group D fixture at Waterford High yesterday.

In a highly-competitive game, the titleholders were forced to leave it late to secure all three points in what is expected to be a tight race for qualification from the group.

Quick striker Andre Clennon, who began the game in an unusually defensive role, returned to front-line duty in the second half, heading the ball into the back of the net in the 69th minute. Clennon was the beneficiary of a high, looping cross from national Under-17 player Andre Steele, who barley managed to keep the ball in play. Steele had missed the first fixture of the season against Norman Manley.

Bridgeport got a number of earlier opportunities to find the back of the net; Steele was played through on goal on two separate occasions just minutes apart, by the crafty Adrian King. One-on-one with George's custodian Jabari Wallace, Steele had his first shot saved at full stretch and his second, an attempted lob over onrushing Wallace, bounce inches wide of goal.

However, George's gave as good as they got. Striker Kemal Malcolm, who just returned to the team, blasted several ferocious free kicks with a 75th-minute effort dipping just wide of the far post. Malcolm, who looked a promising player up front for the Light Blues last season, looks an improved player and should pose a legitimate threat for the rest of this competition.

"It was a tough game. We missed a couple of chances but we are happy for the win," said Bridgeport coach Anthony Patrick.

"We kept them in the game for longer than we should have but in the end the goal knocked the air out of them," he said.

George's coach Neville Bell agreed that it was a tough fixture.

"I thought they played a better first half ... as soon as we started playing some football they got the goal," he said.

"However I'm proud of the guys, we attacked to the end, we'll build from here."

In the group's other games, Norman Manley had little problem coming up with three points as they battered Haile Selassie 10-0. Ardenne registered their first win of the season when they whipped Penwood 4-0.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Group B:

Donald Quarrie 0 Kingston College 5, Jose Marti 1 Eltham 3.Group C:

St. Catherine 0 Campion 1, KTHS 0 Wolmer's 2, Meadowbrook 1 Edith Dalton 1.Group D:

Bridgeport 1 St George's 0, Norman Manley 10 Haile Selassie 0, Penwood 0 Ardenne 4 .Group F:

STATHS 2 Excelsior 0, Trench Town 1 Jonathan Grant 0.