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Maroons aim to cement place in top flight next season
June 25, 2024
Byjeon Thomas, head coach of Jamaica Premier League (JPL) returnees Chapelton Maroons, says the club learned a lot in its debut season in 2022/23, and he believes that experience will serve them well in their effort to survive an immediate demotion to the lower leagues next season.
Chapelton defeated Racing United 2-1 in extra-time to capture the Jamaica Football Championship (Tier II) at the UWI/JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Sunday.
Shavaun Reid fired Racing into a 15-minute lead. However, Tremaine Williamson tied things up 10 minutes later, before Malike Stephens scored deep into second half of extra-time to give Chapelton the win.
Chapelton's debut season in the JPL was nothing short of dramatic. After just six matches, the club parted ways with popular coach Lenworth Hyde, who guided them into the big league for the first time. Brazilian Clovis De Oliveira was hired to replace him but that move proved uninspiring as the team ended the season at the foot of the table with nine points from 26 games, including 17 defeats, nine draws and three wins.
However, Thomas, who only took charge of the club last season, said since coming on board he has been impressed by the level of professionalism and efficiency the management team has shown over the course of the Jamaica Football Championship season and expects that to continue into the JPL.
"We have to start planning and do what we have to do to prepare properly for the JPL," he noted. "But I think it (JPL experience) has helped the management team. I was not there but the management team, based on what I see happening now, they are much better prepared. We (team) were well taken care of in the Jamaica Championship and I think it will continue in the JPL."
Chapelton fans are no strangers to winning local football titles, as current daCosta Cup and Olivier Shield champions Clarendon College hail from that community and Thomas believes that the passion the Clarendon community has for the sport, makes them deserving of a place in the nation's top-flight.
"It (Tier II title) means a lot to the community. The community deserves (JPL) football. They give us (coaches and players) tough love. But everybody was here ( at final supporting the team). So with the love and passion they have for football I think the community deserves this," he said.
Racing beat Chapelton twice during the regular season and started the game as favourites but despite dominating most of the game and creating the better chances, it was the Clarendon team that prevailed in the end. However, Thomas, who was under pressure from his own Chapelton fans from the first whistle, admitted it was difficult trying to keep control of the nerves over the 120 minutes. And although the team finished one better than the last time they qualified, he maintains that their main satisfaction came from getting back to the JPL.
"It (game) was definitely nerve-racking. It wasn't our best game but the team fought and we won and at the end of the day I am grateful for that," he said. "But we got the satisfaction (of qualifying) last week. So this (title) is just a bonus."
