Five-time champions Harbour View were relegated from the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) after crashing 1-2 to title holders Cavalier, who held their nerves and secured their play-off spot in a tense game at Stadium East field on Wednesday.

Harbour View, winners of the JPL as recently as 2022, will be playing parish football next season for the first time in 31 years.

Carvel Stewart, chairman and founder of Harbour View, which was established in 1974, said he will make sure his club doesn’t slide into virtual oblivion like former champions Santos and Boys’ Town.

“We don’t plan to, but I will look deeply into it to make sure we prevent it. We have a very bright, vibrant youth situation, and they will be brought up. Some should have come up this year, but I don’t know why,” Stewart told the Jamaica Observer.

Trayvonne Reid had given Harbour View a 33rd-minute lead with a beauty and at that moment, they were safe from relegation as fellow strugglers Molynes United were then locked 0-0 with Treasure Beach.

But the moment news filtered through that Molynes had taken the lead, there was a deafening silence at the Stadium East from the Harbour View section. They knew that no matter what Harbour View did, it would have been over for them if Molynes United were to win.

Cavalier turned it around with two goals in as many minutes.

It was a pair of headed strikes that knocked Harvour View out of the league for the first time since gaining promotion in 1995. Adrian Reid nodded home from a corner in the 76th minute before Christopher Ainsworth glanced home a low header in the 78th.

While Harbour View were left in distress, there were wild celebrations for a Cavalier team that looked down and out at half-time and looking to relinquish their title.

But they rallied like true champions.

David Lalor, Cavalier assistant coach, said he calmed his players in the dressing room and reminded them what they had to do to remain in the play-offs.

“Just don’t panic because the reality was that we were doing well. It was one our mistakes that they capitalised on and earlier we could have gone ahead. So, I told them relax it will come and at the end of the day we got them,” said Lalor.

Cavalier finished in fifth spot on 61 points, just ahead of Racing United (60) after they defeated Spanish Town Police FC 4-0.

Molynes United made sure of their safety as goals by Marlon Pennicooke (46th) and Odane Murray (62nd) saw them defeat Treasure Beach 2-0 to move to 42 points.

Perennial contenders Arnett Gardens, who were in pole position for a play-off spot when Cavalier were trailing, swamped Chapelton Maroons 7-2 and ended in seventh spot on 58 points and will miss the play-offs.

Mount Pleasant FA consolidated their top spot, beating Montego Bay United 2-1 to be regular season champions on 74 points. Montego Bay finished in second spot on 71, while Portmore United (66) secured third position with 3-0 win over Tivoli Gardens FC who ended 10th on 44.

Waterhouse FC defeated Dunbeholden 4-0 and were fourth on 65 points, while Dunbeholden were ninth on 48.

Cavalier FC’s Kimarly Scott (left) and Raul Parchment of Harbour View battle for possesion of the ball during the Jamaica Premier League match at Stadium East field on Wednesday. (Photos: Naphtali Junior)

Gavin Burton (second left) of Harbour View and Daryl Massicot of Cavalier vie for the ball during the Jamaica Premier League match at Stadium East.