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Cavalier end Mount Pleasant’s unbeaten run
December 12, 2023
Mount Pleasant Football Academy suffered their first defeat of the Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season, going down 2-1 to 10-man Cavalier at Sabina Park last night.
Romeo Guthrie fired defending champions Mount Pleasant ahead after 50 minutes but goals from Shaniel Thomas and Jalmaro Calvin, after Jeovanni Laing was red-carded, handed the Concacaf Caribbean Cup finalists, Cavalier, their third win in six matches.
The result was great satisfaction to coach Rudolph Speid, who said he is not used to them being so low in the points standing.
"We're not accustomed to being 10th in the table and losing three in a row, but I had a good feeling about this game," Speid said.
"What is most satisfying is that I am still understaffed, and we had to play a 17-year-old at right back, but we fought.
"We are now in sixth position, somewhere we are accustomed to, and we feel a little satisfied with this evening's work," he continued.
The win pushes Cavalier to sixth, but they are tied on 11 points with Humble Lion, Vere and Montego Bay United.
Cavalier took the initiative in the first half and had the better of play going forward, but the chances were few.
Thomas had the best chance for a goal in the first period, but goalkeeper Shaquan Davis did well to deny his redirected effort from six yards.
However, the champions would break the deadlock soon after the break when Guthrie fired home exquisitely from a cross in the 50th minute.
Cavalier then went down a man when Laing received a second booking for a late tackle outside the box.
Leading striker Thomas brought Cavalier back into the match after he turned his defender and was brought down in the area. He then calmly converted from 12 yards to restore parity in the 77th minute.
Cavalier grabbed the lead after 82 minutes when Calvin glanced home a header from a corner.
Mount Pleasant had several chances during a melee late in the game but failed to capitalise, even with goalkeeper Vino Barclett out of the goal.
Mount Pleasant remain five points clear at the top of the table with 20 points, but coach Theodore Whitmore said although Cavalier should be praised for their resilience, his players were complacent after gaining the man advantage.
"Credit must be given. The Cavalier team came from one goal down, with 10 men, to get a victory. So credit must be given to them, but complacency got the better of us after Cavalier went down to 10 men, and if you look at the two goals conceded, it is unacceptable.
"It's the nature of the game. We have to move forward. It is just a wake-up call that, on the day, anybody can win a football game if you do not come to play," he commented.
In the day's other match at the same venue, Harbour View played to a 2-2 draw with Molynes United.
