CHARLIE Smith took a firm grip on securing one of two top spots in Group D of the ISSA/LIME Manning Cup football competition with 20 points after dismantling Camperdown 2-0 at Bellevue yesterday.

St George’s College, who like Camperdown and Charlie Smith began the ninth round of the competition on 17 points, clobbered Donald Quarrie 5-0 to maintain their hold on top spot also with 20 points.

While St George’s and Charlie Smith look certain to advance as the two top teams, the defeat for Camperdown has left them in a spot of bother as they now have to fight to qualify as one of the best third-place finishers.

The defeat stung the Christopher Bender-coached Camperdown, but it was not for the want of trying that his team got pinched. They put up as good a fight as one would expect from well-coached teams, but the new surge that has been catapulting Charlie Smith was unstoppable.

Charlie Smith, fresh from a 3-0 drubbing of leaders St George’s College, came armed to the teeth to fight for survival and secured the goals from Odane Samuels in minute 13, and Patrick Sales in the 47th.

Camperdown looked well within themselves even after the first goal, but were again jolted two minutes of the restart, though they came close on several occasions to score but Charlie Smith were on their way and allowing nothing to stem their flow.