Promoted teams defying odds

With five games left to be played in the regular season of the 2018-19 Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) campaign, Dunbeholden FC and Mount Pleasant Football Academy seem like they will do what many newly promoted teams to the nation's top flight have failed to do.

Both sides are sitting above the relegation zone and are threatening to defy the odds, which suggest that one of the two promoted teams each year will be relegated after just one season.

Since 2005, only the 2015-2016 season has seen an exception, when promoted teams Portmore United and UWI FC avoided being relegated at the end of that season.

Dunbeholden seemed like the candidates that would be chucked from the RSPL after a poor start to the season, but a recent surge in form has seen the St Catherine-based club move two spots above the drop zone. They are currently sitting in ninth place on 28 points.

The Michael Cohen-coached team have only lost once since the start of the year, and that was to fellow promoted team Mount Pleasant on February 10.

Mount Peasant, with their English owner Peter Gould, are believed to be the richest club locally and thus saved their season by spending lavishly in the off-season.

They have won their last four outings and are sitting comfortably in fourth position in the standings and are actually in contention of making it to the post-season.

The St Ann-based team is scheduled to face Humble Lion at Effortville this Sunday, while Dunbeholden will play away to Cavalier SC.