Whitmore pleased with Caribbean Cup advantage but …
Published:Thursday | November 27, 2025 | 12:08 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
MOUNT PLEASANT Football Academy went a step closer to their dream of being crowned Concacaf Caribbean Cup champions after defeating Universidad O&M 1-0 in the first leg of the two-way final at the Estadio Cibao FC in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic, on Tuesday.
Kimoni Bailey netted the only goal of the game eight minutes into the encounter.
Coach Theodore Whitmore was pleased with the way his team controlled the game to claim a significant victory, especially in light of having gone three weeks without any competitive games.
“We are glad for the victory. I think we could have scored one or two more goals. But we didn’t concede. We came out with a clean sheet and the O&M team didn’t create any real chances. So it is the desired result we needed away from home. So again, pleased with the performance,” Whitmore commented post-match.
“We knew what would have happened in terms of the performance. And we knew once we could get through the 90 minutes, we think we would be okay. We are away from home, and to leave with a victory is really positive. So it’s for us to go back home and do our home work.”
Bailey consolidated the visitors’ early dominance, steering home Gadail Irving’s corner from 12 yards.
Lamar Walker (twice) and Jahshuan Anglin also tested the O&M goalkeeper with good strikes in the first period.
Raheem Edwards thought he had his fourth goal of the campaign in the second half, but the goal was called back for a hand ball on the player earlier in the move.
Shaquile Bradford also had another good chance late on, but O&M custodian Iraitz Gelbentzu blocked his ferocious strike from the edge of the box.
Whitmore added that the focus ahead of the second leg will be to get their offence clicking. He also hopes the fans come out and cheer them on for this historic occasion.
“We have some stuff to take care of so we will be ready for the next tie. It would be in the final third, our decision-making, our execution. That’s going to be the key for the next tie.”
Whitmore and his team will not slack off the ‘stuff’ they have to correct going into the second, leg given how much winning a Caribbean Cup title means.
“It would mean a lot to the club, the technical staff, management and the owner, St Ann people, and the larger public.
“It will be very important to have the 12th man, the fans, the St Ann people. In Jamaica, with what is happening at the moment, the Jamaican fans deserve it. So it’s for us to go next week and pull it off.”