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CC seek redemption - Clarendon with point to prove in Olivier Shield after Champions Cup let-down

Published:Thursday | December 5, 2019 | 3:56 AMKavarly Arnold/Gleaner Writer
Tahjay Williams of Clarendon College (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring his school’s third goal against Cornwall College in their ISSA Champions Cup semi-final at the National Stadium on Saturday,  November 16, 2019. Clarendon College won 3-0. Shorn Hector/Photographer
Tahjay Williams of Clarendon College (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring his school’s third goal against Cornwall College in their ISSA Champions Cup semi-final at the National Stadium on Saturday, November 16, 2019. Clarendon College won 3-0. Shorn Hector/Photographer

Western Bureau:

After their first back-to-back daCosta Cup titles since 1990, Clarendon College (CC) will go in hunt of a feat that has not been met in 48 years, when they face Manning Cup champions Jamaica College (JC) for the Olivier Shield on Saturday at the National Stadium.

Manager of the CC team, Richard Palmer, said they are confident ahead of the all-island clash, noting that winning the Shield is their ultimate objective from the start of the season.

Last season, CC broke a 13-year-old urban school hold on the Olivier Shield, when they defeated Kingston College 1-0 at the National Stadium. They are seeking to be the first rural school to successfully defend the Shield outrightly, since Vere Technical did so in 1970.

Rusea’s won the Shield in 1992 but had to share the spoils with Excelsior a year later. Clarendon themselves came close to winning outright back-to-back Olivier Shield titles in 1978, but had to share the Shield with Camperdown.

After capturing their ninth daCosta Cup title last Saturday with a 3-0 win over Dinthill in the final at the Montego Bay Sports Complex, CC are focused on ensuring that only their names will be carved on the trophy this time around, as they look to secure their fifth Olivier Shield crown and return the coveted title to its resting spot in Chapelton.

“We have been ready from the game was over (on Saturday). The focus was always the Olivier Shield and we know in order to get to it, we had to win the daCosta Cup. We just cleared a hurdle and the race is not finished,” Palmer said.

One blemish

CC’s only blemish in their brilliant run in schoolboy football this year came at the hands of a Manning Cup team, when they lost 1-0 to Kingston College (KC) in the final of the ISSA Champions Cup.

This was also the only game that the daCosta Cup champions failed to score a goal in, after finding the back of the net 54 times in their other 16 games this season.

Despite going up against the team that eliminated KC from the Manning Cup, Palmer said they have no fear of the urban champions. He noted that they are looking forward to their redemption from that Champions Cup disappointment.

“We never had any fear when we played KC, it’s just a bad game. Every team has a bad game even Manchester City, Barcelona, etc have a bad game. It’s just unfortunate it was that day,” Palmer said. “It is said that we are playing the best brand of football in the entire country. The only way we can justify that is by winning the champion of champions trophy. And how better to do it than beating the one who won the other competition. So it will be the redemption for the Champions Cup,” he added.

Jamaica College who won five Olivier Shield titles in a row before last season will go in search of their 23rd Olivier Shield title to go along with their 27 Manning Cup titles.