Police went out on their shields.
It was rough, it was tough, it was exciting, but in the end, Thursday night’s goalless draw with Mount Pleasant was not enough to see Miscellaneous Police through to the knockout round of the 2024 CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.
Mount Pleasant Football Academy and Police FC put on a show on a night when the rank and file were out in numbers as in past days, supporting the Lawmen with chants of “Police we want a goal!”
Many opportunities came, but not the elusive goal, despite plenty effort from both camps.
“Both teams created a lot of chances,” stated Sue-Lae Mccalla, the rugged Mount Pleasant defender and captain, “Both sides came out to attack.”
Playing in the Caribbean competition for the first time in several years, Police ended their four-match preliminary competition with five points, gathered from a 1-1 draw with Haitian champions Real Hope FC; a 2-1 win over Jamaica’s Arnett Gardens and the gruelling draw with Mount Pleasant, regular season winners of the 2023-2024 Jamaican Premier league, but second to Cavalier FC in the playoffs.
Police’s only misstep came from a second half collapse when losing 4-1 to Cavalier at Sabina Park after going into the half level. But with Mount Pleasant (four points) still to play Real Hope (five points) on the final match-day, win, lose or draw, Police are out.
Almost lost for words, the Police and former Naparima College midfielder, Mark Ramdeen, agreed with Mccalla’s assessment.
“It was a tough game. Both teams were going end to end,” he stated. “The result said so for itself. We went at it, and we drew.”
Rated as Jamaica’s top football club in the most recently released CONCACAF club ranking, St Ann-based Mount Pleasant made a huge investment into winning the match. Theodore Whitmore, the legendary former Jamaican player was back as head coach, and Mount Pleasant were in Trinidad four days ahead of the match, acclimatising and getting ready to win, hoping for better positioning ahead of the upcoming winners-take-all showdown with Real Hope
“We have to go and win the next game to get through to the next round (now),” Mccalla added.
Whitmore would have been thrilled with the start. Mount Pleasant were intense, probing the wide positions incessantly through Kimoni Bailey, Daniel Green and Shaqueil Bradford.
Alvin Jones’ end was under pressure, but unlike AC Port of Spain who melted under the stress two nights earlier, Police stood firm, though shakily at times.
Despite the early trials, it was Police who had the best chances, coming midway through the first half when now 38-year-old veteran Kevon Woodley hit the post after meeting Ramdeen’s backward header in the 24th minute. Woodley then set up Ramdeen who had a powerful strike across the face of goal in the 30th minute, and before the half ended, Mount Pleasant goalie Shaquan Davis pulled off consecutive point-blanks saves to stop forwards Kadeem Hutchinson and Woodley.
For the Jamaicans, Bailey also put a low shot wide of the far upright and Kyle Ming shot straight at Police and former T&T goalkeeper Adrian Foncette, all within an action-packed first half.
It was much of the same in the second period, when Woodley and Kwesi Allen both put headers wide from crosses by Joevin Jones.
Throughout, the Jamaicans were also not put off by applying a little, or a lot of rough play, something not always appreciated by Alvin Jones, Ross Russell Jr, Joevin Jones and Kevon Woodley, who did not respond well to the physicality.
Like Davis late in the first half, Police keeper Foncette also had to make two brilliant point-blank stops to keep Police in the match, first blocking a close-up shot from Trinidad and Tobago international Nathaniel “Natty” James, and also substitute forward Nicholas Nelson.
Police head coach Wendell Joseph exhausted all his resources, even using all five substitutes, and at the end, taking the risk of withdrawing solid central defender Rakim Cabie, and pushing the scoring utility player Elijah “Chocolate” Belgrave further up front.
A disappointed Joseph felt the CCC experience will put his club in good stead ahead of the upcoming local professional league season.
“We expected Mount Pleasant to come at us. We expected them to be fast, physical,“ Joseph said. “We created some opportunities as well, we hit the post, unfortunately we did not score.”
For Police FC, the level of competition was an eye-opener.
“Having played in the competition many years ago, the quality is much higher now. We see where as a club, as a team, we are behind with respect to preparation and stuff,” Joseph declared.
“We met three proper, professional teams coming out of Jamaica. I believe that is not a bad yardstick to measure how we play and our ability to compete,” Joseph said. “We see as a team, as a club we are behind in terms of preparation and so.”
Overall, Joseph said the CCC campaign was a successful one for Police, although they did not get through to the semis.
“Disappointed yes. But pleased because it was three top teams that we played against; teams that prepared properly; teams that have proper foundation; teams that have proper set-ups. So I believe that we (Police) are in a win-win situation playing against these teams.”
SOURCE: T&T Express