Iron man Campbell key in Vere’s opener

Vere United's Ricardo Campbell is hoping that he will never again have to face a team crisis this season similar to their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) opener against Tivoli Gardens.

Campbell says that he is encouraged by the mentality shown by the Vere players and himself as they battled to a 1-1 draw with a depleted squad.

Vere United only had 12 players to call upon in their season opener, which left their bench bare and their team wondering how they would perform in their first game under new coach Linval Dixon.

With a makeshift backline and the odds against them, however, Campbell and the other players were determined not to have any excuses.

"It was (difficult) but we had to do what we had to do. We just had to work with it and we ended up coming out almost victorious," Campbell told STAR Sports.

Ricardo Dennis got Vere United off to the perfect start in the 13th minute and they held out until Diego McKenzie equalised in the 77th minute, but Vere United managed to hold on for the final 13 minutes to ensure that their efforts were rewarded.

Campbell credited the team's ability to stick together and emphasised how important it was to not lose concentration in those final moments.

"We just had to stick to the basics because it boils down to how we communicate around the back because we already have 12 people so we have to put in the work. It's all about teamwork. It would have been worst to come out the loser, but we pulled out a draw so I have to congratulate the team and the coaching staff," Campbell stated.

If it was an early test of how Vere under Dixon handles adversity, Campbell is pleased that they passed, although it is something that he would want to see little of for the rest of the season.