Jamaica College (JC) turned in another virtuoso performance coming from behind to beat St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) 2-1 in the ISSA Flow Olivier Shield final at the Stadium East field and claiming the tag as the best schoolboy team in the island.
Dwayne Foster gave STETHS a 32nd minute lead with a swerving free kick that apparently took a slight deflection off Ajeanie Talbott’s head and sailed past the bewildered Jahmali Waite in goal.
But the champions fought back gallantly and the talented Tyreek Magee’s sweetly struck left-footer from 20 meters pulled JC leveled in the 50th minute before Donovan Dawkins found the clincher with a delicate chip over onrushing goalkeeper Kenroy Wallace in the 90th minute, after good work down the left flank by Ronald Brown.
It was JC’s third consecutive all-island victory following triumphs in 2013 and 2014 and their 20th lien on the Olivier Shield that they first won in 1909.
It was Dawkins seventh goal of the season and he has once again proved to be a big game winner following his winning 89th minute header that broke the heart of St George’s College and won the Manning Cup for JC.
After playing second fiddle to the stylish Georgians early in the season, JC have emerged as the team of the year capturing the prestigious Manning Cup and now the all-island Olivier Shield — the supremacy of schoolboy football.
It was also the third time the boys from Old Hope Road are defeating the St Elizabeth school in the Olivier Shield having beaten them 4-0 in 1974 and 2-0 in 2013.
JC now adds their 20 Olivier Shield crown to the 27 Manning Cup and two Walker Cup to be the most successful school in the island.
STETHS were trying to break the dominance of the corporate area schools in the Olivier Shield. The last time a rural school won was in 2006 when Glenmuir High out of Clarendon shared the shield with Bridgeport High.
In fact, Glenmuir was the last daCosta Cup team to win the Olivier Shield outright and that was in 2004 when they defeated Excelsior High.
So once again the urban Manning Cup champion have proved to be the best in the island.
