Mount Pleasant Makes History with Record 11th Consecutive Win in JPL

Mount Pleasant Football Academy etched their name in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) history books yesterday after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tivoli Gardens at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex. The win marked their 11th consecutive triumph, surpassing the nine-year record of 10 successive wins previously held by Arnett Gardens.

The lone goal came in the 39th minute when Suelae McCalla pounced on a rebound following a mishandled shot by Tivoli goalkeeper Diego Haughton. The goal proved decisive as Mount Pleasant held on to secure the historic win.

Mount Pleasant’s head coach, Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore, expressed his pride in the achievement, emphasizing that it was a team effort.

“I must congratulate the technical staff, the players, and management because we could not have done it without a collective effort. That means we are going in the right direction in terms of where we want to go as a club,” Whitmore said.

Whitmore, a former Jamaica national coach, added that the team’s focus now shifts to maintaining their momentum, with their next game against Vere-Phoenix scheduled for Thursday.

“No one knows what will happen, but we look forward to winning the next game and we will go out and play for 90-plus minutes. We know it is going to get tougher because everybody is coming to play hard against Mount Pleasant,” he stated.

Mount Pleasant controlled the first half, creating numerous opportunities. Nicholas Nelson came close early on, but Haughton denied him and Franco Celestine on the rebound. Kimoni Bailey also narrowly missed, sending his effort off target.

The decisive moment came just before halftime when Haughton spilled a long-range shot, allowing McCalla to capitalize.

In the second half, Tivoli displayed greater purpose, but Mount Pleasant’s defense remained resolute. Tivoli’s best chance came when Lennox Russell failed to convert after receiving an errant pass from Mount Pleasant goalkeeper Shaquan Davis.

Mount Pleasant nearly doubled their lead in the 75th minute when Gadail Irving rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike from outside the area. Tivoli continued to press for an equalizer, but Davis was equal to the task, making a key save to deny Russell’s late header.

Tivoli’s coach, Jerome Waite, who guided Arnett Gardens to the previous 10-match streak in 2015, acknowledged his team’s failure to capitalize on their chances.

“We got our fair share of chances to score but did not convert, and they capitalized on an error from our goalkeeper,” Waite said.

With the win, Mount Pleasant extended their lead atop the JPL standings to 49 points, eight clear of second-place Montego Bay United, who drew 0-0 with Portmore United. Tivoli Gardens remain in seventh place with 26 points.

Mount Pleasant’s remarkable run not only sets a new benchmark for the league but also solidifies their position as title favorites as they aim to maintain their dominance in the weeks ahead.