Real Mona, Cavalier Set for Decisive JWPL Semi-Final Clash at Constant Spring

Real Mona FC Head Coach Neo Oxford says his young group is focused on making club history by reaching the Jamaica Women’s Premier League semi-finals for the first time.

The teams meet today at 3:30 pm at Constant Spring Field in the final round of regular-season matches. Defending champions Frazsiers Whip, along with Los Perfectos and Arnett Gardens, have already booked their places, leaving one berth still available.

After nine matches, Real Mona sit third in Zone A on 14 points, one behind last season’s runners-up Cavalier. That table position leaves Oxford’s side with only one route into the last four: they have to beat Cavalier.

Oxford believes the team is ready, saying they have grown through a difficult campaign. “It’s learning from [situations] throughout the season — how the girls have matured with each game that they have played, how the girls have seen their own growth with each game that they have played. That has given them the confidence to see where they are now,” he said.

He added: “Despite how short the season has been, our season has been very long. We’ve been playing four games a week, if you include schoolgirl football and the Premier League, and they have personally seen where they started to where they are now.”

Real Mona have never gone beyond the quarter-final stage, which they reached in 2019. With a squad averaging 17 years old and drawn from Merl Grove High and Reinas Academy, Oxford says the chance to be first in club history is driving the players. “These girls are aware of what it will mean to win. You can only be the first ones to do something and all of them have that in mind. And despite the age that they are, they’re still mature enough to see what they have to play for and I think they are ready,” he said.

Real Mona’s record this season includes three defeats, and one came against Cavalier last month. Cavalier have scored only nine goals in nine games, but their back line has been strong, conceding seven to hold the third-best defensive record.

Cavalier Head Coach David Laylor said his team is managing injuries as they prepare for a match where a draw would be enough. “We have a couple injuries in our team so we’re trying to work on that. The women’s team doesn’t have a lot of depth in terms of quality so we’re really just trying to see how bet we can field a good 11.

“Our plan is really to counter-attack. So the confidence now is that at least we have one of our players that was injured before that is now back up and running again so we are counting on that aspect.”