KINGSTON, Jamaica — Mt Pleasant FA cruised to an 11th straight win in the Jamaica Premier League after edging Tivoli Gardens 1-0 in the first game of a second-round double header at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday.
They now hold the record for the most consecutive wins ever by a team in the island’s top club football competition.
The win took the St Ann club past the 10 straight that was won by Arnett Gardens as they further extended their lead atop the points tables, racing to 49 points, eight more than second-placed Montego Bay United who played out a 0-0 draw against Portmore United, the second time this season the teams had failed to score against each other.
Sue-Lae McCalla scored the winner in the 38th minute, his third goal of the campaign as Mt Pleasant FA won their 15th game from 20 starts.
Tivoli Gardens were losing back-to-back games and slipped six points to the back of the play-off spots.
Arnett Gardens came back from two goals down to earn a 2-2 draw against defending champions Cavalier FC as both teams extended their winless runs to three games each.
Cavalier who were beaten 3-0 by Mt Pleasant FA in their previous game, got off to a fast start and led 2-0 with goals from Justin Dunn in the first minute and Jalmaro Calvin taking over the lead in the Golden Boot race when he scored his 11th in the 34th minute.
Warner Brown pulled a goal back for Arnett Gardens when he converted a penalty in time added at the end of the first half before Joel Jones tied up the scores in the 67th minute.
There were impressive wins for both promoted teams Racing United and Chapelton Maroons, over Vere United and Waterhouse FC respectively as both teams inched up to mid-tables safety in eighth and ninth places.
Racing United won back-to-back games for the first time after blanking Tivoli Gardens 2-0 last week. They beat Vere United 3-0 with goals from Nickyle Ellis who gave them the lead in the 28th minute when he cheekily chipped goalkeeper Mikhail Harrison, Javaughn Cole in the 42nd minute and Tyrone Mullings in the 87th minute after coming into the game as a substitute in the 79th minute.
Chapelton Maroons snapped a five-game winless run by stunning sixth-placed Waterhouse 3-0 at Drewsland mini stadium.
Daniel Watson opened the scoring in the 10th minute, Ray Campbell added a second four minutes later before Leaunghn Williams added a third in the 62nd minute.
Harbour View climbed out of the relegation zone when they won for the first time since November 3rd, a span of 11 games, beating Dunbeholden United 4-1 and swapping places with them.
Both teams are on 16 points but Harbour View have the better goal difference.
Harbour View’s four goals matched their total output from the previous 11 games — Javid George gave them the lead in the 17th minute, Trayvone Reid made it 2-0 in the 37th minute and Colorado Murray added a third in the 45th minute.
Timar Lewis scored a fourth in the 45th minute before Chevoy Watkin scored a consolation goal for Dunbeholden in the 57th minute.
— Paul Reid