By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterTHE battle for all-island supremacy in schoolboy football kicks off at Tony Spaulding Sports Complex today with Manning Cup champions Norman Manley Comprehensive facing rural area kingpins Rusea's Comprehensive in the first leg of the Olivier Shield playoff.
The feature kicks off at 3:00. In a curtain-raiser at 1:00 p.m., St. George's College and Anchovy will contest the Under-16 all-island final.
'Home' team Norman Manley have played for the Shield twice and have won on both occasions. Coach Alrick Clarke is hoping to make it three from three,.
"We have a tradition of winning the Olivier Shield when we win the Manning Cup," said Clarke, referring to 1996 and 2000.
"The guys are determined to keep it up," Clarke added.
Coach Anthony "Follies" Williams of Rusea's High said on Monday that the daCosta Cup celebrations were out of the way and they are now focusing on Norman Manley.
Williams said it was "all business as of 3:30 Monday" when they resumed training, adding "the focus is squarely on the Norman Manley team and the continuation of the job to get both titles".
Norman Manley's Clarke said his team is still recovering from the joy of winning the Manning Cup but his players are focused and preparations are going well.
The Manning Cup champions will be looking to forward Bryan Baylis, who recently returned from World Cup under-17 qualifying duties and attacking right-back Kearn Binns, who will be remembered for the sensational 35-yard free kick which put his team in the final at the expense of Excelsior, who they beat 2-1 in the semi-final.
Ryan Douglas in midfield and striker Asif Bernard, who are recovering from the flu should be ready for today's game according to coach Clarke.
"Apart from those two players who are down with the flu and a few injuries, there is nothing to prevent anyone from playing 90 minutes," Clarke added.
Following his match winning goalkeeping performance against Wolmer's in the Manning Cup final, Jermaine Campbell, who saved three penalties is a very difficult person to beat.
"We won't change our style to suit anyone," he said. "They would have to think about us, We won't think about them."
Clarke said he knows nothing about the Rusea's team.
"I have never seen them. All I know is that the team won the daCosta Cup. I did not see the match," Clarke said.
Meanwhile, Williams, admitted the only time he saw the Manning Cup champions was in the final against Wolmers' and conceded that that game might not have been a true reflection of the quality of the Alrick Clarke-coached team.
The Rusea's coach said he would be concentrating on the strong points of his team and was hoping for at least a draw today before going all out for victory at Jarrett Park on Saturday.
The eight-time daCosta cup champions will be without central defender Conroy Moodie, who was sent off in the dying minutes of their 1-0 win over William Knibb on Saturday.
There is also injury concern for captain and midfielder Ricardo Collins, who limped off the field Saturday. Goalscorer Kevin Bryan also left the game early with an ankle injury.
Cliffroy Vidal returns from suspension and Williams said they were happy to have him back. Vidal will team up with Lesseps Love, Keniel Moodie, Andre Reynolds and utility man Jermaine Brown in defence for the Hanover school.
