Jonathan Grant book semi spot

Surprise semi-finalist Jonathan Grant sealed their place in the last four of the ISSA-FLOW Manning Cup competition for the first time since 2001, after playing to a 2-2 draw with Calabar in Group K at the Prison Oval yesterday.

However, coach Oneil Thomas was left fuming after he saw his team threw away a 2-0 lead at the break to share the points.

Anelka Grandison fired Jonathan Grant ahead after 15 minutes and Damian Kaye made it 2-0 six minutes later. However, second-half strikes from Shane Reid (50th) and Michael Graham (78th) secured Calabar's first point of the second round.

"Pleased (that we are through), yes," said Thomas, after the match. "But it's not a good show going into the semi-finals. Yes, we have a few injuries, but I don't feel good about this game."

Jonathan Grant topped the group with seven points, one more than Charlie Smith who turned back Excelsior 4-0. Excelsior ended with three points and Calabar one point.

Jonathan Grant started brightly and were rewarded after 15 minutes when Grandison headed home from a corner.

Minutes later, they added another when Kaye's well placed shot gave the Calabar custodian no chance.

But Jonathan Grant came out complacent after the interval and Calabar took control of the game and pushed them on the back foot, and five minutes into the half, Reid drilled a low shot into the corner to cut the deficit to one.

Calabar continued to dictate the game and 12 minutes from time Michael Graham finished off a good build-up to tie the score.

Earlier, Hydel stopped Innswood 4-3 in a game of academic interest. Steven Barnett (35 & 57) got a brace for the winners and Nicholas Nelson (78) and Brad Tully (89) one each. Innswood got their goals from Milton Walford (2), Jeremy Ebanks (61) and Akeem Gibbon (87).

Hydel finished third with four points in Group I behind group winners Denham Town (six points), who lost 4-1 to runners-up Camperdown, which ended with five points. Innswood finished with one point.