In an action-packed Sunday of Jamaica Premier League fixtures across the island, Mount Pleasant Football Academy delivered a stunning second-half comeback to clinch a 2-2 draw against Treasure Beach and lock in their spot as the second team to qualify for the upcoming play-offs. The match, held at Saint Elizabeth Technical High School’s (STETHS) Sports Complex in Santa Cruz, saw the underdog Treasure Beach hold a commanding two-goal lead for much of the contest, before the league’s top contenders fought back in the final 20 minutes to claim the vital point they needed.
Jhanni Flemmings put Treasure Beach on the scoreboard first in the 32nd minute, and Daniel Hardy doubled their advantage in the 69th minute, leaving Mount Pleasant on the brink of a defeat that would have delayed their playoff qualification. But substitute Cristojaye Daley changed the trajectory of the game just three minutes after Hardy’s goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1 for the visiting side. In the 86th minute, Raheem Edwards netted the equalizer — his 18th goal of an already standout 2023-24 season — to salvage the draw and push Mount Pleasant to 62 points overall. Sunday’s result marks the third drawn match between these two sides across the current campaign, following a 1-1 midweek draw for Mount Pleasant against Harbour View earlier in the week.
League leaders Montego Bay United (MBU) held onto their top position with a dominant 4-1 victory over Racing United at Jarrett Park, extending their lead at the top of the table to six points with 68 points accumulated so far. MBU got off to a blistering start, opening up a two-goal lead inside the opening 25 minutes through strikes from Richardo Ramsey and Deonjay Brown. Timar Lewis made it 3-0 before halftime in the 36th minute, and Deverow McKenzie added a fourth just after the hour mark in the 54th. Former MBU forward Odane Nish grabbed a late consolation goal for Racing United in stoppage time, but the result did little to lift Racing, whose winless streak stretched to eight matches, dropping them two spots in the league standings following the defeat. The victory also marked MBU’s 20th win of the league season, cementing their status as the team to beat heading into the play-offs.
Elsewhere across the weekend, Portmore United climbed one spot into third place in the table, moving to 59 points after a 2-0 away win over Chapelton Maroons at Turners Oval. Portmore got off to an early dream start when a Chapelton defender turned the ball into his own net in the 10th minute, and Ronaldo Robinson secured all three points with a late strike in the 87th minute. Waterhouse FC sit just behind Portmore in fourth place, also on 59 points, after a hard-fought 1-0 away win over Harbour View. Ky-mani Campbell netted the decisive goal in stoppage time to give Waterhouse the full three points.
At Tivoli Gardens’ home ground, the side earned a 2-0 shutout victory over Dunbeholden FC, with both goals coming in the final 10 minutes of play. An 80th-minute own goal put Tivoli ahead, and Mickel Graham doubled the lead in stoppage time to seal the win. In the day’s relegation-battle clash, Molynes United pulled off a critical 3-0 shutout win over Arnett Gardens, enough to lift them out of the relegation zone. Nicholas Nelson scored a first-half brace, finding the back of the net in the 24th and 35th minutes, before Dhumar McLauglin added a third goal in the 71st minute to cap off the dominant win.
Full Sunday Match Results:
Treasure Beach 2, Mount Pleasant FA 2
Tivoli Gardens 2, Dunbeholden FC 0
Montego Bay United 4, Racing United 1
Harbour View 0, Waterhouse FC 1
Chapelton Maroons 0, Portmore United 2
Molynes United 3, Arnett Gardens 0
Reporting by Paul A. Reid