A CLASS APART
For the second year in a row, Clarendon College are the champions of champions after they retained the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Olivier Shield with a comprehensive 4-0 win over Mona High at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
Urban area Manning Cup champions Mona started on the front foot and caught the rural area daCosta Cup champions off guard in the opening 30 seconds. But Denzel McKenzie’s effort from just outside the 18-yard box just went over the top.
K’Shaine Gordon also had an attempt but his curling effort barely troubled Clarendon goalkeeper Roshae Burrell.
Keheim Dixon has been the most lethal forward in schoolboy football this season and he finally got involved in the action in minute 31 when he turned past his defender inside the box, but his shot flew wide.
That was a warning sign for Mona but they didn’t heed as in the 35th minute, an unmarked Dixon headed home from a corner kick to put Clarendon ahead.
There were a flurry of chances to close the half but the score remained at one.
Mona desperately searched for an equaliser and came close in the 61st minute when McKenzie’s corner found the head of Romarion Thomas, but Burrell produced a fine stop to keep it out.
Two minutes later, Thomas was at it again when he was played in behind by Alex Suazo but his powerful strike on the edge of the area just missed the top corner.
However, they would end up regretting not taking their chances as Deandre Gallimore, teed up by captain Malachi Douglas inside the box, would find the bottom corner to make it 2-0. Things got worse for Mona in the 83rd minute when goalkeeper Akeem Bernard tried to claim a corner kick from Clarendon’s Jahmelle Ashley but horribly mistimed the flight of the ball. Christopher Hull was on hand to not it home for a three-nil cushion.
It was certainly an evening to forget from Bernard as he failed to keep out an acrobatic effort from Hull as Clarendon wrapped up the proceedings in minute 87.
Head Coach Lenworth “Teacha” Hyde could not have been prouder of his team for claiming the schoolboy double.
“I’m very impressed. We worked from the match started til it finished just like we did the final of the daCosta Cup. I think they came out with the desire so it wasn’t hard for me to pump them up and get them ready again. They’re senior and experienced players so they know the situation,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
“They played some big-man football. Mona played well too, got some opportunities and our goalkeeper came up big, so total team effort, both ends of the pitch. That’s what I asked for and they delivered. Great final,” Hyde added. Mona’s Head Coach Craig Butler tipped his hat off to Hyde and the team for their showing.
“We pressed well, we got our chances, we didn’t put them away. Lenny weathered away, put their passes together and after a while, they got their chance and put them away. This is football but today, you have to hand it to Lenny and his team, they were the better team,” Butler said.
The win gives Clarendon their sixth Olivier Shield title and also gave the parish their third title this year with the daCosta Cup and Glenmuir’s Champions Cup win.