The script felt all too familiar. A grand Jamaica Premier League (JPL) final under the lights, a tightly contested duel with Cavalier, and in the end, heartbreak from the penalty spot. For Mount Pleasant head coach Theodore “Tappa” Whitmore, it was another chapter of what could have been.

It was a third successive finals showdown between the two domestic heavyweights and a second straight loss to their rivals in the cruelest fashion. After a goalless draw in regulation and extra time, Cavalier edged Mount Pleasant 6–5 on penalties to clinch their third Jamaica Premier League title in five years. 

"We did everything right except to put the ball in the back of the net. It's a tough loss. I can't find words to explain. I think the only thing we did wrong was not win the game,” Whitmore said, his voice heavy with the weight of another title that slipped through his grasp.

Mount Pleasant's Jashaun Anglin tries to slip his marker. (Photos: Snapshot Media)

For Whitmore’s side, the familiar agony was compounded by the sense that they had dominated proceedings, particularly in open play.

"Yes, tactically we think we got it right. But if you play and don’t score, then once it goes to penalties, it’s anybody’s call. Cavalier got it tonight (Friday). Congrats to them," Whitmore stated.

Mount Pleasant were enterprising, confident, and composed throughout the 120 minutes. They controlled possession, pressed Cavalier in midfield, and fashioned the more promising chances. But the one thing that matters most in football—the finish—remained elusive.

"In the final third, we needed more. We needed to get the ball in the back of the net. We were just not getting the ball in the back of the net. We did everything, and we didn't do that. Such is the nature of the game," Whitmore said.

Whitmore acknowledged the pressure and disappointment but deflected suggestions that personnel changes might have altered the outcome.

“You can think a lot of things, but at the end of the day, it comes down to putting the ball in the back of the net. But as I said before, we did everything. So congrats again to the Cavalier team," the former Reggae Boyz captain noted.

Despite the gut-wrenching loss, there is still a silver lining. By virtue of reaching the final, Mount Pleasant will again represent Jamaica alongside Cavalier in the upcoming Concacaf Caribbean Cup—a gateway to the prestigious Concacaf Champions Cup.

"We’ll give the guys a few weeks off, then we prepare for the Caribbean Cup,” Whitmore confirmed.