Latest News
Cavalier lift second JPL title in three years
May 20, 2024
Cavalier claimed their third Jamaica Premier League (JPL) after a 4-3 penalty shootout win over defending champions Mount Pleasant at the National Stadium last night when they battled to a 1-1 draw in regulation and extra time.
Devonte Campbell fired Mount Pleasant into a 65th-minute lead, but Richard King levelled the score two minutes later, which enabled Cavalier to lift their second title in three years. They had a 30-year gap between their first tile and the second.
When regulation and extra time failed to separate the teams, Cavalier goalkeeper Vino Barclett denied two Mount Pleasant penalties to secure the title for them.
"We gave as good as we got and probably should have scored more goals earlier," said Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid.
"That is a nature of the game. Once we went behind, we replied, but penalties are a part of the game, so we had to be good at that, too."
DELIGHT
Nevertheless, Speid admitted being crowned national football champions again was a delight.
"It's a great feeling. Almost 99 per cent of the punters wrote us off. Mount Pleasant are a juggernaut, but we showed no fear. We battled them all over the pitch and got a lot of chances.
"Last year, we started (final) with about four teenagers. This year, we are older, wiser and more mature; and we knew it would be a different game," he said.
Cavalier started spritelier and were first to threaten but Shaquan Davis pulled off a stunning save to deny Jalmaro Calvin in the fifth minute.
Calvin had another great opportunity minutes later but could not beat Davis with his shot from an angle.
Mount Pleasant responded with a free kick in the 20th minute, but Barclett was alert to the danger and parried away the shot.
After the interval, Kimonie Bailey had the first real chance for Mount Pleasant, but he blasted over from just inside the area, with the goal at his mercy.
SEMI HERO
However, semi-final two-goal hero, Campbell gave Mount Pleasant the go-ahead goal when he latched on to a pass on top of the area and slotted the ball past Barclett in goal.
Cavalier responded almost immediately with a header from a corner, which gave Davis no chance.
Dwayne Atkinson then came close to putting Cavalier ahead but his free kick just missed the upright in the 79th minute.
Sue-Lae McCalla, in stoppage time, had a low shot that missed the upright.
However, neither looked like winning the match in extra-time and the dreaded penalty shootout was required to separate the teams at the end, with Cavalier proving more clinical from the spot.
"Very disappointed," expressed Mount Pleasant coach Theodore Whitmore. "I am very pleased with the team's performance and the season. Unfortunately, tonight we came up short, but such is life."
At the same venue earlier last night, Arnett Gardens defeated Waterhouse 5-1 to finish the competition in third position.
