JPL Best and Worst - Week 12

BEST

VERE UNITED

Breaking news! Vere United have finally won a game in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season, and it only took them 12 games to do it. A narrow 1-0 win over strugglers Faulkand FC has put them seven points clear of the relegation places heading into the final game of the first round. Vere took advantage of Chapelton Maroon's six-point deduction to put themselves in a good position to not only preserve their league status, but go on a run themselves.

TIVOLI GARDENS

Tivoli Gardens' third straight win of the season has them now in ninth place with 16 points, three points away from a top-six place. They can thank Rodico Wellington for that, after his brace helped them cruise to a 3-0 win over Montego Bay United. They went, before January 16, seven games without a win, dating back to November 20. Now they are in form, just in time for the first west Kingston derby of the season on Sunday.

MOUNT PLEASANT

Mount Pleasant left it extremely late, but they can thank Trivante Stewart's 92nd-minute strike to clip Humble Lion 1-0 and keep their two-point lead atop the table. With the addition of last year's Golden Boot winner Atapharoy Bygrave, Mount Pleasant should have several attacking options for the important second-round push, but it is good to know that they have a striker that they can depend on.

WORST

HARBOUR VIEW

Goalscoring is becoming a problem for reigning champions Harbour View and based on his post-game remarks after their 1-0 defeat to Arnett Gardens on Monday, head coach Ludlow Bernard is intent on doing whatever it takes to rectify the problem. Since the new year, Harbour View have scored one goal in five matches and have conceded five, with four of them coming against Waterhouse on January 8. Bernard expressed his frustrations about their attacking inefficiency after the game, and was adamant that the trend cannot continue if they are to climb up the table.

FAULKLAND

Faulkland are now the only team in the league yet to win a game this season, and after their 1-0 defeat to Vere United, they could end the first round without a win. The last few seasons had all the teams getting a victory. Faulkalnd have to ensure that they don't have the misfortune of completing an entire season without a win.

MONTEGO BAY UNITED

Donovan Duckie's Montego Bay United are in a slump. They have lost their fourth game in five after being hammered 3-0 by Tivoli Gardens, and their once-great start to the season has turned sour. They have only scored one goal in their last five and have conceded 11 in that span. They are still four points away from the top six, so it is not a position that they can't recover from, but they have to improve defensively to stop the rot.