6 months ago
22
WITH TWO games left to secure their survival in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL), Molynes United faces an uphill task with tough away fixtures against league leaders Mount Pleasant and defending champions Cavalier.
Despite sitting ninth in the league table, Molynes are well aware their season still hangs in the balance with their 35 points, just two clear of the relegation zone.
The Kingston-based club picked up a much-needed win in their last outing, defeating Racing United 3-1 on Sunday.
A Nickache Murray early strike and a brace from Marlon Pennicooke led the way for the relegation-embattled club.
Jermaine Thomas, Molynes’ head coach, said the win brings new hope to the squad, as they have achieved one of their targets.
“It feels good,” Thomas said.
“We have had the target for a while now that we wanted to get to 35 points and we were finding it a little difficult to reach that mark.
“The game against Racing was a good one. I think the guys really held their heads up and really played to the instructions.”
Thomas said one of the major differences in Sunday’s win was the team’s ability to convert their chances.
The Molynes boss had bemoaned the team’s lack of decisiveness in the attacking third for much of the season.
“The difference in this game is that we converted our chances and that really turned things around a little bit.”
However, Molynes are not yet out of the frying pan, as fixtures against Mount Pleasant on April 27 and Cavalier on May 4 could spell doom for the club.
Historically, Molynes has not fared well against either club, having lost to Cavalier in their last 11 meetings and managing just two wins against Mount Pleasant in 12 games.
Thomas said his players will need to be at their best for their remaining games, believing a further three points are necessary to ensure survival.
“From here on out, three or four more points will guarantee you safety, but we have two really tough games coming up. So it’s just up to us to see what we can get from them and just to do our best,” said Thomas.
“It is pressure in itself, so I don’t want to be putting additional pressure on the players. So it comes down to managing the different quarters of the game.”
Thomas is hopeful the confidence gained from the win against Racing can fuel the club’s hopes of securing their spot in the top flight for next season.
“This season has been a strange one and it’ll come down to how you manage your runs. It’s about when you get your runs and what you do with them.
“Our destiny and our future is still in our hands and heavily depends on how we deal with the games in front of us. In preparing for these games coming up, you don’t want to be overcoaching.”
He added, “Based on the positive run of form, I’m thinking, once the instructions are clear, we should get through.”
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