Mount Pleasant Football Academy produced a dominant second-half display to register a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over defending champions Cavalier FC in their Jamaica Premier League clash at Stadium East field yesterday.
Kimoni Bailey (67th), Raheem Edwards (76th), and a Michael Forbes own goal (88th) were the scorers for Mount Pleasant. Dwayne Allen scored for Cavalier in the ninth minute.
Despite controlling large portions of the opening exchanges, Mount Pleasant found themselves trailing early when Allen gave Cavalier the lead after heading home a cross from Christopher Ainsworth.
Cavalier held a 1-0 advantage at halftime, thanks in part to a resolute defensive effort led by captain Giovanni Laing, who made several crucial interventions to deny Mount Pleasant.
However, the St Ann-based side turned the game on its head with an inspired second-half performance. Bailey ignited the comeback in the 67th minute with a powerful right-footed strike from 25 yards that left goalkeeper Demelico Fer with no chance.
With the momentum firmly shifted, Raheem Edwards doubled the lead nine minutes later after skilfully turning away from two defenders before finishing clinically.
Mount Pleasant sealed the victory in the 88th minute when Michael Forbes inadvertently headed the ball into his own net under pressure.
Davion Ferguson, director of football at Mount Pleasant, praised his team’s resilience and overall display.
“I think it was a good performance from start to finish. We conceded a goal very early against the run of play, but I don’t think they were threatening at any time,” Ferguson said.
“In the second half we turned it up a notch, and we really played how we wanted to play. When we got the first goal, it was really a matter of when we would get the second and the third. We created more opportunities to score. So all in all, it was a good performance in the end.”
Ferguson added that this was a very important win for his squad, especially after a string of strong performances without the desired results.
“It is just another game and another three points because we have been playing well recently and not winning. This is good for the squad because we have a very good bunch of players who understand the assignment,” he noted.
The victory lifts Mount Pleasant to 63 points, just two behind leaders Montego Bay United, while Cavalier remain seventh on 35. Ferguson noted that they are now looking forward to another tough encounter against Tivoli Gardens on Sunday.
“It is just about recovering now and going again on Sunday against Tivoli Gardens FC, which is going to be another tough game for us,” he said.
