ST JAMES, Jamaica — Former champions Reggae Youths and Flankers FC took leads after Sunday’s first legs of their St James Football Association/Sandals Resorts International Major League semi-finals at Jarrett Park.

Reggae Youths beat Green Pond SC 2-1 in the first game while Flankers FC were 2-0 winners over Lilliput Rovers going into the return leg games set for Jarrett Park on Saturday.

Both Reggae Youths and Flankers FC won their first-round groups and went into the games as favourites to advance to the final.

Two-time champions Reggae Youths led 2-0 at halftime with goals from Natoneil Wilson in the 24th minute and Tyrique Scott in the 42nd minute.

Green Pond SC rallied in the second half with Nartino Seal scoring in the 76th minute and just missed equalising later in the game when a Reggae Youths player’s misguided header came back off his own goal-post.

In the second game, Flankers FC dominated but had to wait until the 53rd minute when Jevon Walker opened the scoring.

Theo Shaw then added a second when he scored in the 70th minute.

-Paul Reid