After leading Cavalier FC to a rare consecutive Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League title, Head Coach Rudolph Speid says his club overcame tremendous odds to retain their championship.

For a second season in a row, Cavalier beat Mount Pleasant Football Academy 6-5 on penalties after a goalless full and extra time.

Goalkeeper Vino Barclett earned the man of the match award after pulling off seven saves to ward off the Mount Pleasant attackers during the 120 minutes and then crucially, denying Clifford Thomas during sudden-death penalties to give Cavalier the victory.

Cavalier joins Portmore United (2018 and 2019) and Arnett Gardens (2001 and 2002) as the only teams to win consecutive league titles since 1991.

It’s not only back-to-back titles for Cavalier but three in the last five years for the club. It’s also their fourth ever title which sees them joining Montego Bay United with four titles. Only Portmore United, with seven titles, and Harbour View, Tivoli Gardens, Arnett Gardens, and Santos with five titles each, have won more.

Speid told the Sunday Observer that this title means more due to the challenges they faced throughout the campaign.

“This is the hardest title we have ever won and I can tell you, it was hard because we had to rebuild,” he said. “Half of our defence was bought by Mount Pleasant, we lost Shaniel Thomas, we lost [Mackenson] Cadet who was our number six who sat in the middle, we lost Ronaldo Barrett, we lost Nicholas Hamilton, we lost a lot of quality players who powered us to the league last year.

“It was a rebuilding process that we had to do and when we’re rebuilding with young players, the truth is you have to carry them through the different ramifications, let them know what their jobs are and I think we were able to do that successfully.”

Cavalier Captain Richard King hailed the team’s resilience and says they’re deserving champions.

“The team spirit has been there from the get-go,” he told the Observer. “This was one of the seasons where we knew we had to work extra hard because we didn’t start the competition as well as we wanted, but we didn’t complain. We stuck in, we fought, got a lot of results that we had to fight for so that’s the real true definition of a champion. This season is more special than any of the seasons.”

Consecutive finals shootout defeats have left a bitter taste in the mouths of Mount Pleasant fans but Head Coach Theodore Whitmore wasn’t let down by his team’s effort.

“I’m pleased with the team’s performance but I’m disappointed with the result,” he told the Observer.

“We dominated most of the game but unfortunately for us, we didn’t get the ball in the back of the net. We created numerous goal-scoring opportunities and that’s where we were let down. But once it goes down to the dreaded penalty shootout, it’s anybody’s call.”

Mount Pleasant finished as league leaders of the regular season with a record 93 points while Cavalier finished fourth on 69 points. Some, including Mount Pleasant Assistant Coach Davion Ferguson, felt the league format should be changed to award the team who tops the table.

However, Speid believes Cavalier were strategic enough and deserved the win.

“The competition is what it is,” Speid said. “If it was a case where we had to get the most points, we probably would but this isn’t that type of competition. It’s a league and a knockout after that, so you just need to be good in the knockout. In the knockout, we played five matches and only conceded two goals, so that was good enough.”

Cavalier and Mount Pleasant will now turn their attention to the Concacaf Caribbean Cup in August with Speid’s men looking to defend yet another title.

Cavalier goalkeeper Vino Barclett (second left) celebrates his Man of the Match award with teammates Jeadine White (left), Keanu Reid (second right), and Shadsan Millan after the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League final at the National Stadium on Friday night. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)