Molynes buoyed by memorable debut

All the build up to the first Monday night game of the 2019-20 Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) season was around Portmore United.

The defending champions were supposed to begin their title defence with a resounding result and goals aplenty against a team in their first season in the nation’s top flight. Easy win guaranteed.

Molynes United got that script alright. They just placed it in the trash and wrote their own.

The club is in high spirits, and why wouldn’t they be? They, after all, outclassed the champions 3-0 in their league debut at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

It was a comprehensive win that has club President Herman Cruickshank beaming. It was more rewarding for him that the predictions surrounding his club’s impending defeat in their opener was silenced emphatically.

“We are more than pleased as it is now,” he said speaking to The Gleaner yesterday. “[Portmore United] are the defending championships and previous headlines in the paper stated that it’s just a matter of how much goals Portmore would have scored on Molynes. So we pointed that out to the players. We showed them what was said in the papers. So that kind of helped motivate the players.”

Ryan Brown scored a brace in the win, including a brilliant effort for the first goal in the 25th minute, and Devon Hodges added one late in the second half for a result that no one could have anticipated.

But Cruickshank is keeping the team’s feet firmly to the ground, warning that it was just the first step in a long season, if they plan to remain a top-flight club come March.

“We are trying to keep them level. We are sure that this match has lifted their spirits high, so we have to keep them in check and not let them go off, because this is just match number one. But it has definitely heightened their confidence, because to come away with three points [against the] defending champions 3-0. I think 3-0 is convincing,” he said.

SALARIES

In addition to the result is the security that comes from securing the salaries for both the players and coaches, according to Cruickshank, which for him is one less thing to worry about as the season continues.

“We haven’t attracted any big sponsors, but we managed to secure the sponsorship for the salary [for the players]. Anything else is a plus. But we secured the salaries for the coaches and players and then whatever comes next, we will use that for the operations side of the club,” he said.

Cruickshank is banking on an increase in home support after their landmark Monday night game and for their first home game of the season on Sunday against The University of the West Indies (UWI) FC at 3:30 p.m..

“We managed to create a home base by winning that game Monday night. We have managed to earn some respect from some fans. We trust that with that performance Monday night we can attract some more supporters,” he said.