Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Waterford's Anthony Stitchell (right) and Excelsior's Paul McCallum collide in an attempt to win a header in action from the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday. Waterford won 1-0. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

WATERFORD ALL but assured themselves a spot in the semi-finals of the ISSA/Pepsi/Digicel Manning Cup, following a 1-0 victory over Excelsior at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.

Rebounding from a disappointing start to the second round, Eltham, also in Group Two, kept their chances of advancing to the last four alive when they registered a 3-1 win over Camperdown in the day's second game.

Seeming to have recovered from his early season indifference, Waterford's top striker, Mark Walters, found the back of the net for the third time in two games yesterday.

Catching Excelsior on the counter, Walters fired a bobbling ball into the back of the net in the 36th minute to see his team move to six points with one game remaining.

Had opportunities

Runners-up a season ago and coming off a 6-0 thrashing of Camperdown in their last encounter, Excelsior had several opportunities to find an equaliser but came up short on each occasion due to a combination of Waterford resilience and wayward shooting.

"They went out a bit complacent, we gave up an early goal and we just didn't convert our chances," said Excelsior coach Leebert Halliman. "Whenever you do that you can expect to be on the receiving end.

"We had the ball most of the time. Maybe the big result against Camperdown inflated us a little, we will have to try and win the next game."

Other game

In the day's other game, Shevon Brown headed a dominating Eltham team into the lead in the 26th minute and the St. Catherine side surged even further ahead when Camperdown conceded a 29th-minute penalty.

Mark McKoy was given his marching orders for handling a shot from Brown in the area and Ricardo White stepped up to net from the spot. However, just as it seemed Eltham would run away with the game, Dorado Phillips blasted a ball, which should have been cleared on at least three occasions by the Eltham backline, into the roof of the net in the 32nd minute.

Despite a few half chances for the Camperdown team, Eltham continued to dominate possession.

Still, last season's Walker Cup champions were rewarded for their efforts when centre half Odale Newman finished off an industrious run by placing the ball around stranded Camperdown goalkeeper Mark Bryan after receiving a defence-splitting pass from striker Hubert Mike to makeit 3-1.

YESTERDAY'S RESULTS

Eltham 3 Camperdown 1

Waterford 1 Excelsior 0.

TODAY'S GAMES

Kingston College vs Charlie Smith - 1:30 p.m. Calabar vs Norman Manley - 3:30 p.m

at Stadium East