Thirty-five-year wait ends
KC win Olivier Shield with 2-0 win over Garvey Maceo
Published:Sunday | January 30, 2022 | 12:13 AMKavarly Arnold - Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
KINGSTON COLLEGE (KC) won their first ISSA Olivier Shield title in 35 years with a 2-0 victory over Garvey Maceo High School at the STETHS Sports Complex in Santa Cruz yesterday.
Lifting the oldest title in schoolboy football history was also sweet redemption for the urban area after the rural domination displayed in the ISSA Champions Cup earlier this month.
Ludlow Bernard, coach of KC, said the school was happy to end the more-than-three-decades-long drought for a title whose holder can stake the claim of being the best in the country.
“We at Kingston College are really happy. It has been 35 years since we have held up this trophy, so it is indeed a significant achievement we have accomplished here today against a lot of odds. This is the epitome of hard work and dedication,” Bernard said.
“This was not our best game, all we wanted to do was get over the line. We rode our luck throughout the game. We had some serious tactical blunders in the first half but the good thing is that we maintained our composure and awaited our opportunities, which we gladly took,” he added.
Garvey Maceo started the game on the front foot, creating a number of chances but failing to get on to the scoresheet. They were made to pay with just one minute left in the first half when Luis Watson rose to produce a glancing header at the near post from an inswinging corner to give KC the lead going into the interval.
Then, more trouble for Garvey Maceo, as captain Jemone Barclay was in the right place at the right time to tap in a rebound from Christopher Pearson’s 54th-minute shot to make it 2-0.
COUSINS MISSED
The absence of captain Gregory Cousins, along with the 19 goals he accounted for this season, was evident and Garvey Maceo assistant coach Dane Chambers said as much.
“We could see where Cousins was missed here today. The player up front was capable but we didn’t convert our chances to get over the line. We had chances in the first half but just disappointed in not taking any of them which would have made it a different game,” Chambers said.
“We wanted it badly because this is one we have never won. Also, three trophies went to Clarendon, this was the last one and we wanted it. The boys worked hard this season and I am really proud of them,” he added.