Eltham High School's Osani Ricketts (left) tackles Bridgeport Comprehensive High's Jermaine Morgan during the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Walker Cup KO schoolboy football match at Constant Spring Football Field yesterday. Bridgeport won 4-0. - Ian Allen/Freelance Photographer

Bridgeport Comprehensive High advanced to the semi-finals of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/ Pepsi/Digicel Walker Cup KO schoolboy football competition, courtesy of a 4-0 victory over Eltham High at the Constant Spring playing field yesterday.

A heavy downpour delayed the start of the match and prevented the teams from playing an attractive game.

Bridgeport were, however, able to come to terms with the conditions and got their scoring under way with their first shot on target. Jermaine Morgan got off a beautiful shot in the 20th minute that beat Eltham's keeper Reshawn Dunn all ends up.

Bridgeport got their second goal seven minutes later when Eltham's Vernal Ellis handled a header from Darren Mattocks and the referee awarded a penalty. Jamiel Hardware converted the resulting spot kick.

glorious opportunity

Eltham got a glorious opportunity to pull a goal back in the 32nd minute when Damarly Dawkins passed the ball across the face of goal to an unmarked Stephen Morant, who unbelievably kicked wide.

They paid dearly when Adoah Nickle netted two minutes before half-time, following which Darren Mattocks found his 18th goal of the season to round off the scoring in the 68th minute.

Eltham's assistant coach, Gregory Allen, blamed poor finishing for his team's loss.

"The difference today was that Bridgeport took their chances. We didn't take ours and that made all the difference in the game today," Allen said. "We just need to go home and rest ourselves and prepare for the Manning Cup."

Anthony Patrick, coach of Bridgeport, was pleased with his team's performance and believes they can go all the way.

"The last couple of seasons we were a little bit lethargic going into the quarter-final round, but we definitely want this one. This set of players has never won the Walker Cup," Patrick said. "We are confident of going all the way."

The second game in the double-header, between Jamaica College and St Andrew Technical High School, was not played due to the state of the field.

George Forbes, competition's director of ISSA, advised The Gleaner of the new date for the game.

"We have called off this game and it is going to be played on Monday, starting at 3 p.m. at the same venue, the reason being the lines are not visible because of the late start of the first game, and for the other game to start we would have to re-mark the field," Forbes said.

"The semi-finals will be moved from Tuesday to Wednesday and the final will be on Friday," he added.

The competition continues today with a quarter-finals double-header at Constant Spring. Norman Manley and Waterford are slated to meet in the opener at 1 p.m., followed by a showdown between Excelsior and St George's College at 3 p.m.