KINGSTON, Jamaica – Angelo Exilus scored a brace as Mt Pleasant FA rebounded from their semi-final disappointment to beat 10-man Montego Bay United 3-2 in the third place play-off in the Jamaica Premier League at the National Stadium on Sunday.

Mt Pleasant kept their hopes alive to defend their Concacaf Caribbean Cup trophy as the victory booked their ticket for this summer’s Caribbean Football Union Shield tournament, the winners of which will qualify for the premier regional championship.

Montego Bay finished fourth in back-to-back seasons. They came from behind twice to tie up the scores late in the game but were subsequently undone by a mistake by goalkeeper Davonnie Burton.

Four of the five goals in the game came in the final 24 minutes of regulation after Exilus had given Mt Pleasant the lead in the 41st minute.

Brian Brown was well placed at the far left post in the 66th minute to tap home a cross from Deonjay Brown to tie up the scores at 1-1.

MBU were reduced to 10 players in the 71st minute after Gerdon Gabriel was sent off for a high tackle on a Mt Pleasant player just outside the 18-yard area.

National under-20 representative Jabari Howell restored Mt Pleasant’s lead when he fired a brilliant free kick high to the left of Burton in the 83rd minute.

Deonjoy Brown responded for MBU when he tied up the game at 2-2, beating goalkeeper Kemar Foster with a left footed shot from just outside 18 yards.

With time running out, Mt Pleasant found the winner when Burton came off his line to block Exilus who had gotten away down the left wing and he easily slid the ball past the goalkeeper and across the line just ahead of a defender.

-Paul A Reid