AFTER Cavalier FC were unable to defend their Concacaf Caribbean Cup title, Assistant Coach David Lalor says they are desperate to make another Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League final so they can make a swift return to the regional stage.

The back-to-back reigning JPL champions registered a 2-0 win over Tivoli Gardens on Sunday at Edward Seaga Sports Complex.

Christopher Ainsworth’s brilliant free kick in the 76th minute and a stoppage-time strike from Jamilhio Rigters did the job for Cavalier, who also got their first clean sheet in six games this season.

“A win is a win, and we needed this win to kind of set us in the top six. In terms of just how the team performed today, it looked a bit better than what we’ve seen in previous games,” Lalor said.

“The team is now settling. We had a lot of injuries earlier [in the season] so some men were out. The team is playing better defensively also, so we [dedicated] this win today to our defensive set-up.”

In the prior two seasons Cavalier proved to be one of the best teams in the Caribbean after making consecutive Caribbean Cup finals, including claiming the title in 2024 and performing admirably in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

However, they crashed out at the group stage of the Caribbean Cup this year, after finishing fourth in their group with just one win.

Lalor, though, said their aim is to return to the competition through a fourth-straight JPL final.

“Our sole focus is the league, and of course we know we have to either win the league or get to the final where we can go back to the Caribbean Cup so we can have a lot of players getting more views,” he said.

“The club’s mandate is always to help the players to be better and [selling players] so [that] at the end of the day, the club itself can be better. The club is now looking at how we just keep the players focused and, as I said, this is the only thing we have to do now — just to keep them focused [as] players and just keep preparing them as best as possible.”

Tivoli Gardens, on the other hand, are winless in their last four encounters and have just one win in their seven games this season.

Head Coach Jerome Waite says the players know what must be done to end their current form.

“It still will narrow down to the players to be more disciplined, and to maintain organisation and follow the [instructions] as it relates to what the coaches want them to do,” he said.

Last week, Ann-Marie “Dawn” Heron resigned as president of Tivoli Gardens after serving in various capacities for over three decades. Waite is hoping the players can move on from the news quickly.

“It will affect them but, at the same time, we try to ensure that we get them in the right frame of mind to keep going,” he said.

— Daniel Blake

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

Tivoli Gardens 0, Cavalier 2

Waterhouse, Mount Pleasant

Phoenix Chapelton 1, Montego Bay 2

Spanish Town Police 2, Molynes 2

Portmore 0, Racing 0

Tivoli Gardens FC goalkeeper Nathaniel Francis (right) wins an aerial duel against Cavalier FC’s Zerguinho Deira during the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League football match at Edward Seaga Sports Complex. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

LALOR… we know we have to either win the league or get to the final where we can go back to the Caribbean Cup (Photo: Observer file)

WAITE…it still will narrow down to the players to be more disciplined (Photo: Observer file)