Mount Pleasant FA have proven to be a refreshing addition to the Red Stripe Premier League.

Playing in their first season in the island’s top-flight football, they have brought an exciting brand of football and a mass of travelling and home supporters that has changed the football landscape in the country.

Their quest to become the first team to win the league in their first season was ended by defending champions Portmore United FC in the semi-finals when they suffered a 2-3 aggregate loss. But their season is not yet done.

They will engage in the rarely played third-place playoff against the other beaten semi-finalists Cavalier FC on Monday beginning at 5:30 pm at the National Stadium. Games of this nature are often dull, but according to assistant coach Alfred Barnett and player Sue-Lae McCalla, fans can expect an absorbing contest as they will be ready to put on a good show.

McCalla, who scored in the second leg semi-final 1-1 draw against Portmore, admitted that the players are disappointed in not making the final.

“Most of the fans are satisfied with our performance, but some of us players thought we could have done better, probably make it to the final to win the league. So for most people we did very well, but for us, we know that we still could have won,” he said.

The defender said that his team gave it their all in the semi-final and it was just a case of Portmore being the better team over the two legs.

“We did what we had to do, it’s just that we got knocked out by a very good team. Going up against Potrmore it could go either way,” he suggested.

McCalla also revealed that everyone was in training as finishing third is nothing to scoff at.

“Every player is in training, we still have intense training knowing that we want to come and give a good showing. It would be a good achievement for the club, taking third place.”

Barnett explained that his club had painted a “bullseye” on the back of Cavalier and they were in the hunt for the one scalp that eluded them in 33 games of the regular season. In the three games between the two teams, Cavalier won once while the other two ended in stalemates.

“Cavalier is the only team that we haven’t beaten this season and we need goals so we are coming to score goals,” said a strident Barnett.

In addition to the Cavalier scalp there is the matter of the Golden Boot race of which their striker Francois Swaby is still a part. Swaby is one behind Tremaine Stewart of Waterhouse and Javon East of Portmore United both of whom are set to play in the final.

“We have Francois Swaby on eleven goals, so we need him to get goals, so we are coming to play entertaining football with the expectations of scoring a lot of goals,” Barnett explained.

“We need to settle this one with Cavalier and in doing so we will get a lot of goals, so we are not coming to sit back and play a defensive game, no we are coming really attacking because we need to get Francois Swaby up there and also to settle the score with Cavalier; we need to settle this one,” Barnett insisted.

There is also a half-million -dollar incentive for both Mount Pleasant and Cavalier to go for it on Monday night. The fourth placed team receives $500,000 while the third-placed team receives a cool $1m at the end of the game.

— Dwayne Richards