Wadadah, Faulkland clinch RSPL play-off spots

Faulkland FC and Wadadah FC both booked their spots for the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) play-offs and the finals of the Jamaica Football Federation Western Confederation/Charley’s JB Rum Super League after advancing on Sunday.

They progressed ahead of Falmouth United and Hopewell United, respectively, in the doubleheader semi-finals at Jarrett Park.

In the first game, Faulkland came from behind to thrash Falmouth 5-2 to advance 6-3 on aggregate. A first-half brace from Faulkland’s Ewan Barton (11th and 23rd minute) saw them come from behind twice to level at half-time, after goals from Falmouth’s Aiden Jakomba (seventh minute) and Theodore Hopwood (20th minute).

In the second half, Faulkland showed they were playing at their home ground adding three more unanswered goals from Jalani Nicholson (56th) and Radcliff Dawkins (59th and 77th).

Gregory Palmer, coach of Faulkland, said he was pleased with the character his boys showed.

“Going behind two times and eventually winning the game the way we did showed good character because this is what champions are made of,” Palmer said. “I said to them at the half-time break, remember we have the best defensive record in the competition. We shouldn’t even let in two goals but that’s beside the point, let’s get on with the game and score some goals because goals win games and defence wins championship.”

Primary focus

Despite having the Super League finals to go, Palmer said their primary focus now switches to the RSPL play-offs.

“We still want to win the (Super League) finals, but the main impetus will be on the play’offs because we need to grab one of those spots for more reasons than one. The main one, there is no western team in the RSPL, and we have an opportunity to do it so we must,” he said.

In the second game, Wadadah, who went into the tie with a 2-1 lead, was forced to get the job done in extra time.

After a lacklustre 90 minutes, Conrad Reid pulled something out of the hat for Hopewell in the sixth minute of stoppage time, to send the game into extra time locked at 2-2 on aggregate.

The defending champions however, secured their place in the finals after Oshane Hunter converted a penalty kick in the 120th minute.

Coach of Wadadah, Daniel Ricketts, admitted that despite coming into the Montego Bay leg with the lead, he knew it would not be easy.

“We know it was going to be tough, we didn’t expect an easy game because most of these guys for Hopewell are from Montego Bay, so they are used to the climate and their friends are here. The guys did it the hard way though; we missed too many chances thus leading to the extra time,” Ricketts said.

Having gone to the RSPL play-offs last year and failing to pick up a point, Ricketts wants things to be different this season.

“We are halfway there. The next step is to get these guys into some physical shape in time for the playoffs. We have to try as best was we can to encourage them to come out to training on a daily basis,” Ricketts said. “The talk is that Wadadah is only going there and not qualifying and we want to change that concept. As you can see, no team from Montego Bay is participating in the RSPL (as yet for next season), so we want to be that one to go there and get Montego Bay back on the map.”