No Shield return leg

Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

The second leg of this year's ISSA/Pepsi/ JN Olivier Shield final between Manning Cup champions Bridgeport and daCosta winners Glenmuir has been officially cancelled.

Given the decision which was arrived at during a meeting of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) yesterday, both schools will share the title as they had played to a 1-1 finish in the first-leg match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval last week Thursday.

Clement Radcliffe, president of ISSA, said they had no choice but to cancel the return game due to concerns about the spreading of malaria.

It is this same concern that led to the initial postponement of the second-leg match, which had been slated for Brancourt, Clarendon Park, last Saturday.

"The executives met, which includes the competition's chairman for both Manning and daCosta Cups, and they decided that they had no dates in mind for the second leg even though the malaria ban has been lifted," Radcliffe told The Gleaner yesterday.

"They couldn't say for sure when that match would be played and because of the uncertainty of when this match will be played and with the reduction of interest in the competition, they decided that both teams will share it since the first leg ended 1-1."

Disappointment

Meanwhile, both coaches ex-pressed disappointment, but said they understood the circumstances.

"I am disappointed," said Jackie Walters, coach of Glenmuir. "... (But) one has to understand the circumstances it was put off because you can't risk young players to these kind of situations."

Bridgeport's coach Anthony Patrick said: " I feel a bit disappointed because my team had a very good chance of winning it (outright) but nevertheless it is going to shared between the two teams. But we are true champions in our own right because these two teams are two good teams," Patrick explained.

"It was beyond our control. The medical person knows what is best although we would have loved to play the game," said Patrick