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JC capture Olivier Shield
... whip Garvey 2-0 to lift all-island schoolboy prizeBY KAYON RAYNOR senior staff reporter
raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, December 23, 2007
MOTIVATED or not, Manning Cup title-holders Jamaica College (JC) crowned themselves all-island champions after scoring a 2-0 win over daCosta Cup winners Garvey Maceo in the Olivier Shield final, the symbol of local schoolboy football supremacy, at the National Stadium yesterday.
Prior to yesterday's clash between the nation's top two schoolboy teams, JC's coach Alfred Henry told the Sunday Observer his troops had lost interest in the match, which had been delayed, adding that he was frustrated.
ANOTHER NOTCH FOR JC: Pepsi's marketing director John Burrowes (third right) presents the coveted Olivier Shield to Jamaica College captain and goalkeeper Olivier Walker at the National Stadium yesterday. JC defeated Garvey Maceo High 2-0 in the all-island schoolboy final. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
"It has been three weeks now since we played in the Manning Cup final," he said then.
Yesterday Henry's charges were quicker into stride and made most of the early running, creating no fewer than three clear chances in the first 12 minutes in front of a sparcely-populated Stadium.
However, it seemed as if the team which netted some 60 goals enroute to their first Manning Cup title since 1974 was indeed match-rusty.
JC got a wake-up call in the 30th minute when Garvey Maceo captain Ashton Bennett beat two defenders in the 18-yard box before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot which rebonded off the right upright.
Anthony Grant made amends for a missed opportunity in the eighth minute by converting an equally easy chance 14 minutes into the second half.
The overlapping Andrian Christian dribbled by two defenders down the right flank before moving into the box to pick out an unmarked Grant, who tapped home from eight yards to give JC the lead in the 59th minute.
Defender Robert Palmer sealed the issue in the 88th minute when he rose high at the near post to head home Oshane Brown's perfect free-kick from 22 yards, to the right of the penalty box.
Robert Palmer, along with Ramone Palmer, Akeem Bennett and Grant joined a select band of players to have won the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield double with two schools.
The quartet were also members of Calabar's victorious team in 2005 under the guidance of the late coach David Hunt.
Yesterday's win gave JC their 16th lien on the Olivier Shield - the most by any other school - and ended their 33-year drought.
Garvey Maceo, who were making their debut appearance, failed to become the fourth Clarendon school to claim the trophy behind Vere Technical, Clarendon College and Glenmuir.
Meanwhile, Coach Henry told the Sunday Observer he was satisfied to complete the job he set out to do three seasons ago.
"When you get a job to do, you just have to do it to the best of your ability and that's what I did," Henry said.
"All I wanted to do was to win and go home to my daughter (in New Jersey), and that's it." he said, adding that he had a great group of players to work with this season.
"I couldn't ask for a better set of players; they were disciplined from the beginning and I couldn't ask for more," he declared.
Counterpart Jeffery Hewitt conceded his players were outplayed.
"At half-time I asked the players what was the problem and they said, 'coach we just really tired', so it was expected, but I must say congratulations to the JC team because they came out and played as if they wanted it...," Hewitt said.
... whip Garvey 2-0 to lift all-island schoolboy prizeBY KAYON RAYNOR senior staff reporter
raynork@jamaicaobserver.com
Sunday, December 23, 2007
MOTIVATED or not, Manning Cup title-holders Jamaica College (JC) crowned themselves all-island champions after scoring a 2-0 win over daCosta Cup winners Garvey Maceo in the Olivier Shield final, the symbol of local schoolboy football supremacy, at the National Stadium yesterday.
Prior to yesterday's clash between the nation's top two schoolboy teams, JC's coach Alfred Henry told the Sunday Observer his troops had lost interest in the match, which had been delayed, adding that he was frustrated.
ANOTHER NOTCH FOR JC: Pepsi's marketing director John Burrowes (third right) presents the coveted Olivier Shield to Jamaica College captain and goalkeeper Olivier Walker at the National Stadium yesterday. JC defeated Garvey Maceo High 2-0 in the all-island schoolboy final. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
"It has been three weeks now since we played in the Manning Cup final," he said then.
Yesterday Henry's charges were quicker into stride and made most of the early running, creating no fewer than three clear chances in the first 12 minutes in front of a sparcely-populated Stadium.
However, it seemed as if the team which netted some 60 goals enroute to their first Manning Cup title since 1974 was indeed match-rusty.
JC got a wake-up call in the 30th minute when Garvey Maceo captain Ashton Bennett beat two defenders in the 18-yard box before unleashing a powerful left-footed shot which rebonded off the right upright.
Anthony Grant made amends for a missed opportunity in the eighth minute by converting an equally easy chance 14 minutes into the second half.
The overlapping Andrian Christian dribbled by two defenders down the right flank before moving into the box to pick out an unmarked Grant, who tapped home from eight yards to give JC the lead in the 59th minute.
Defender Robert Palmer sealed the issue in the 88th minute when he rose high at the near post to head home Oshane Brown's perfect free-kick from 22 yards, to the right of the penalty box.
Robert Palmer, along with Ramone Palmer, Akeem Bennett and Grant joined a select band of players to have won the Manning Cup and Olivier Shield double with two schools.
The quartet were also members of Calabar's victorious team in 2005 under the guidance of the late coach David Hunt.
Yesterday's win gave JC their 16th lien on the Olivier Shield - the most by any other school - and ended their 33-year drought.
Garvey Maceo, who were making their debut appearance, failed to become the fourth Clarendon school to claim the trophy behind Vere Technical, Clarendon College and Glenmuir.
Meanwhile, Coach Henry told the Sunday Observer he was satisfied to complete the job he set out to do three seasons ago.
"When you get a job to do, you just have to do it to the best of your ability and that's what I did," Henry said.
"All I wanted to do was to win and go home to my daughter (in New Jersey), and that's it." he said, adding that he had a great group of players to work with this season.
"I couldn't ask for a better set of players; they were disciplined from the beginning and I couldn't ask for more," he declared.
Counterpart Jeffery Hewitt conceded his players were outplayed.
"At half-time I asked the players what was the problem and they said, 'coach we just really tired', so it was expected, but I must say congratulations to the JC team because they came out and played as if they wanted it...," Hewitt said.
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