The Gleaner swamped pre-season favourites Supreme Ventures 4-1 at the Constant Spring playfield last Monday to advance to the semi-finals of the KSAFA/Scotia Bank-sponsored Business House KO football competition.

Goals from the lanky midfielder Donovan Alvaranga in the 13th and 82nd minutes along with striker Kevin Samuels in the 35th and midfielder Robert Coley in the 39th enabled the 'newsmen' to whip Supreme Ventures, who lost key player Kwame Richardson with a knee injury in the 36th minute.

The Gleaner, who are unbeaten this season, outplayed Supreme Ventures to lead 3-0 at half-time.

On the resumption, the Jerome Waite-coached Supreme Ventures came out firing, forcing The Gleaner on the defence for the first 15 minutes through the combined efforts of Donovan Bernard, Andre Thomas, Leon Brown and Oneil Marshall.

But sturdy work by defenders Bernard Blackwood, George Stephen and player/coach Rudolph Speid, not to mention sound goalkeeping by Everdean Scarlett, limited SVL to a consolation goal, this coming in the 66th minute from Leon Brown.

Speid, a candidate for the upcoming KSAFA presidency, said his team became complacent after the interval and let in a goal.

"Still, we played well. It was a battle between the best offensive team in the competition (SVL) and the best defensive team (Gleaner), but our 4-1-4-1 formation served to nullify their offensive style of play," he said.

Team manager Barrington Deer said: "We had bragging rights, having beaten them 2-1 in the league recently. We proved to be the better team once again."

Meanwhile, Carib Cement, with second-half goals from Jermaine 'Fast Car' Rowe and former national player Milton Griffiths, blanked NCB 2-0 in another quarter-final match on Wednesday at Barbican playfield to advance to the semis with The Gleaner.

Last Monday, at the Old Men's Hockey field in Mona, Division Two campaigners Petrojam clipped Division One team Unicomer (formerly Courts) 1-0, thanks to a 50th-minute strike from Asthas Bernard.

The match between UWI and Wisynco scheduled for last Wednesday was not played, after the Wisynco team arrived at the ground 15 minutes late due to transportation problems and the referee calledthe match off.

As a result, the Business House Association disciplinary committee will make a ruling on that match some time this week.

The Gleaner, 2006 KO champions, will face either UWI or Wisynco in one semi-final depending on the outcome, while Carib Cement will oppose Petrojam in the other.

With Business House football having focused on the knockout competition last week, the Division One League is scheduled to resume tomorrow with two matches.

Unicomer will oppose front-runners The Gleaner at the Old Men's Hockey Field at Mona, while National Housing Trust take on Supreme Ventures Limited at Jesse Ripoll playfield. Both matches start at 4 p.m.

Defending Digicel cricket series Business House champions Cable & Wireless suffered their first defeat of the season last Sunday, going under to former champions Jamaica Broilers in the Reggae Jammin 50-over league in a home match at Chalmers Avenue.

Batting first, Jamaica Broilers made 238 all out in 49 overs, thanks to an attacking 108 by Dean Anderson and good support from Jermaine Edwards with 41. Damion Jacobs took 4-39 and Fitzroy Peterkin 2-33.

In reply, C&W were bowled out for 166 in 38 overs, Jacobs getting an even 50 and Yannick Elliott 23, against Andrew Davis 3-18 and Wayne Morgan 2-34.

The competition continues today with four matches. In the feature game, C&W oppose St. Ann Jamaica Bauxite at Chalmers Avenue, while Jamaica Broilers are at home to Continental Baking Company at Spring Village in St Catherine, Digicel meet Life of Jamaica at Kensington Park and Windalco take on Carib Cement at Port Esquivel. All matches start at 11 a.m.