MBU, Vere lick wounds at end of JPL season

Western Bureau:

A positive end to their respective Jamaica Premier League campaigns saw Montego Bay United (MBU) and Vere United believing there is enough to build on for next season after they played to a 1-1 draw yesterday.

Ricardo Campbell gave Vere the lead at WesPow Park in Tucker, St James, a minute before the half-time break. The hosts secured a share of the points when Nazime Grant converted a penalty in the 66th minute.

MBU assistant coach Dwayne Ambusley said an evaluation of the season in the coming days will be crucial in the club preparing for next season.

"It's one of the worst seasons I've had to endure," Ambusley told STAR Sports after the game. "However, we have so much to reflect on if we are to pick up ourselves for next season. We have to look at how we approached the season in the first place.

"There were positives in the commitment shown by the players in finishing the season strong. It shows that if we could win games in the latter part when it should be tougher with teams challenging for the top six, we could have done it from the start. We need some self-reflection and players in some key positions as we look to next season."

MBU, who last won the title in 2016, finished the campaign last in the 12-team table with 12 points and only two wins, however, they are spared as there will be no relegation this year.

Vere head coach Donovan Duckie said he is pleased with the adaptability and character his team showed to finish the season strong.

"We were hit by COVID-19, so we lost a couple of senior players and key players who didn't want to take the vaccine," he said. "That was the writing on the wall for a few games and we had to resort to the schoolboys. They played a lot of games and made errors until we got it right.

"In the last seven games, the results have been positive, which augurs well for building a solid platform to matriculate into next season. I'm very impressed with how the season ended. Even today both teams played a very good brand of football. Adding six or seven quality players to the team should make a successful season to come."

Vere finished the season in 10th with 20 points, nine of which came from their last seven games.