Mount Pleasant Football Academy and Tivoli Gardens had to settle for a share of the spoils as they played out 0-0 stalemate to officially kick off the truncated Jamaica Premier League (JPL) season powered by Digicel.

It wasn’t the most outstanding display by either teams, but giving the circumstances of a lengthy one-year plus break without competitive action, coupled with the challenges that come with playing on the artificial surface at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, it was understandable.

Both teams were expectedly slow into stride, and as such, offered very little to write home about in the goalless encounter.

In fact, only two proper efforts came on goal when the tempo gradually improved — one at either end of the park and both were from set plays — in the opening half.

The first came in the 17th minute when Tivoli Gardens’ Jermaine Johnson fired in a free kick from 20 yard s out, but it lacked the venom to cause much problems for Mount Pleasant custodian David Swaby at his near post.

On the half-hour mark, Alwayne Harvey of Mount Pleasant had his free kick from just outside the 18-yard box kept out by Kewong Watkins diving full stretch to his right.

Tivoli Gardens could have had the go-ahead goal in the 39th minute after Davion Garrison finished off a good build-up with a weighted cross that fell nicely for a wide open Horatio Morgan, who steered his header wide.

Mount Pleasant enjoyed the better of play on the resumption and were more threatening offensively, but like it was in the first half, they failed to produce much meaningful effort on goal.

Paul “Tegat” Davis, head coach of the St Ann-based Mount Pleasant, was not too fond of the outcome.

“I am a bit disappointed in a sense, because we created a lot of openings and we should have at least put away one. But it’s football, [plus] we haven’t played in a year or so, so there was a little rust and then maybe the field was a bit of a factor when they were running. Hopefully, in the next game when we go on the grass it will be different,” said Davis.

His counterpart Phillip Williams was a bit more content.

“It’s definitely good to be back in action [as] it’s been almost 15 months since we haven’t played any competitive football in Jamaica, so to come here against a Mount Pleasant team that is in pretty good condition and get a point is really good,” Williams told the Jamaica Observer.

Teams: Mount Pleasant FA — David Swaby, Alwayne Harvey, Ladale Richie, Latroy Laing, Cardel Benbow (Devonte Mills 81st), Daniel Green (Francois Swaby 70th), Kevaughn Isaacs(Ronaldo Rodney 70th), Leonard Rankine, Kemar Beckford, Liston James (Kevin Graham 32nd), Sue-Lae McCalla

Subs not used: Shaven Paul, Tajay Anderson

Booked: Richie (31st), Beckford (39th), Isaacs (46th), Rankine (90th)

Tivoli Gardens — Kewong Watkins, Davion Garrison, Barrington Pryce, Kemar Flemmings, Horatio Morgan (Tommy Lawrence 63rd), Jermaine Johnson (Rodico Wellington 81st), Andre Smith, Anthony Nelson, Trevaune McKain, Odean Pennycooke, Earon Elliott

Subs not used: Justin Dunn, Nicholas Clarke, Steve McQueen, Rushane Thompson

Booked: McKain (33rd), Garrison (45th)

Referee: Steffon Dewar

Assistant Referees: Lloyd Edwards, Rolonzo Bennett

Fourth Official: Carvel Banton

Match Commissary: Delroy Josephs