WESTERN BUREAU -
Paul A. Reid, Staff Reporter
MANNING Cup champions Norman Manley High captured the 2000 Olivier Shield, the symbol of all-island schoolboy supremacy, after playing to a 1-1 draw with daCosta Cup and Ben Francis Knockout champions Cornwall College in the return leg at Jarrrett Park yesterday
Norman Manley, who had won the first leg 2-1 in Kingston the previous Saturday, took the title 3-2 on aggregate for their second hold on the trophy.
Needing to win by two clear goals, Cornwall took the attack to Norman Manley and dominated proceedings but failing to get the required goals that would enable them to at least share the trophy they last won in 1993.
On the other hand, Norman Manley were content to keep as many players behind the ball, banging it long up field where Julius Roberts and Emilio Morris were the only players in the Cornwall half most times.
he Manning Cup champions took the lead in the first minute of the game after a mistake by the Cornwall goalkeeper Richard McCallum. The national Under-17 custodian had collected a corner taken by Courtney Williams but was adjudged by referee Victor Stewart to have carried the ball across the goal line.
Cornwall's goal came from the penalty spot in the 67th minute and was converted by Garnet Chisholm after defender Ricardo Kerr brought down Derrick Henry in the box.
Coach Dr. Dean Weatherly said after the game that he thought his team should have won but learnt a bitter lesson that teams must covert their chances.
It was the second time a Cornwall team conditioned by Weatherly lost in the Olivier Shield play-off. They went down to Charlie Smith in 1995.
His counterpart at Norman Manley, Alrick Clarke, was delighted and said he came expecting a tough match but had confidence his team would do what was necessary to take the title.
Sean Bucknor, who led the Cornwall attack with captain Garrick Gordon, wasted a number of good chances that would have put his team back in the game.
His first chance came in the 14th minute when his shot from just on the right side of the six-yard box went just wide of the goal. A minute later, he looped a powerful shot just high of the target.
His best chance came in the 31st minute when his header from point-blank range was wide of the target with goalkeeper Andrew Gibson beaten.
Cornwall's dominance continued in the second half when Orlando Coleman replaced Bucknor.
Dane Richards had arguably the best chance of the game when he missed a wide open goal from two yards out. A cross from Chisholm eluded the entire Norman Manley defence and the goalkeeper and landed at the feet of the diminutive midfielder whose poor shot was kept out by the goalkeeper.
Cornwall drew level in the 67th minute when Henry, who had replaced Kirkland Smith, was brought down just inside the area. Gibson managed to get his hands to the low hard shot but only succeeded in helping it into the goal.
The rural area champions continued to take the fight to Norman Manley and created at least three more clear chances only to see the shots wide of target or straight at a defender.
Chisholm should have buried a shot in the 71st but he side footed wide of an empty goal while Gordon's effort from inside the six-yard box was just inches high late in time added on for stoppages.
