St George's College's Kemar Cummings (right) races for the ball ahead of St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) player Levaughn Baker, during Wednesday's first-leg Olivier Shield final at STETHS in Santa Cruz. St George's won 3-2. - Photo by Adrian Frater

The battle for the symbol of all-island schoolboy football supremacy - the Oliver Shield - will culminate today when defending champions St George's College renew their battle with rural area champions St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS), at the Harbour View Mini Stadium, starting at 3 p.m.

St George's will enter the game as overwhelming favourites to secure their 12th hold on the Shield, after registering a 3-2 victory in the first leg, which was played at STETHS on Wednesday. The urban area champions came from behind twice to win five-goal thriller.

STETHS will need to win by at least one clear goal to earn a share of the 100-year-old Shield, as the winner is decided on aggregate. If the teams are tied on goal aggregate the Shield will be shared.

players injured

In their quest for that goal, STETHS might not have the season's leading scorer, Deshawn Brown, in their line-up.

"We have a few players who are nursing long-term injuries, including Deshawn," noted STETHS's coach, Andrew Edwards. "They might play or they might not play, but we are still watching them; the medical staff will make a final assessment."

Edwards is, however, still very confident going into the return leg.

"Right now we are brimming with confidence. The players are not too bothered by the fact that we have lost the first leg at home. We have lost four matches all season long and three of those losses have happened at home, including the one on Wednesday."

He added: "We have always bounced back; we have proven over and over that when it matters most we can rise to the occasion, so we are expecting to rise to the occasion for the final game of the season.

"STETHS have nothing to lose at this stage, so our best option at this stage is to give it all we can to try and win the game. We would love to win it all-out but if we can't win it all-out we will settle for a share of the championship," he concluded.

While defending champions St George's will be looking to their crafty midfielder Marvin Morgan and their captain Devon Williams to see them home, the inclusion of top striker McKaully Tulloch will be a last-minute decision.

Tulloch appeared to be suffering from stomach cramps in Wednes-day's match and was forced into substitution.

"It is a touch and go situation based on what the doctors tell us and today's (yesterday's) training," St George's assistant coach Marcel Gayle informed.

Gayle admits that they are looking to make a better start to today's game than they did on Wednesday, but is cognisant of their defensive problems.

"We would like to get a better start from the way we started on Wednesday; to be more purposeful and try and get earlier attacks," Gayle said. "It (defence) is always a concern and George's doesn't have any secrets about that, but we are working on it and I think the guys are up for it. All we have to do is shut down the strikers and just don't give them any space," he added.

no complacency

Should he play, Brown might come in for special attention, as Gayle does not anticipate his team getting complacent at this stage.

"It is a physical team and they play a rounded game but if we can stop the suppliers I think we can get the job done. We have Deshawn Forbes who we'll put to mark and the guys will be aware of the situation, we have been working on that. It would be a shame to get complacent at this late stage of the competition, we have been toiling all season long, wanting this competition so bad," he concluded.