Olivier Shield will be share

Clement Radcliffe - File

Manning Cup champions Bridgeport High and daCosta Cup winners Glenmuir High will share the 2006 ISSA/Pepsi/JN Olivier Shield.

The second leg of the play-off which was postponed late last week has now been cancelled.

The decision to share the shield was made at a meeting of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA). Both schools played to a 1-1 scoreline in the first-leg match at Spanish Town's Prison Oval last Thursday. The second leg had been scheduled to be played last weekend at Brancourt.

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

"The executive 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 Star Sports yesterday.

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

Meanwhile, the coaches of both schools expressed disappointment, but said they understood the circumstances.

"I am disappointed," said Jackie Walters, Glenmuir's coach. "...(But) one has to understand the circumstances why 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 be 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.