Fitzgerald impact at Cooreville nearly immediate

IT HAS taken just four months for veteran coach Calvert Fitzgerald to make a big impact for Cooreville Gardens FC in the Wray & Nephew KSAFA Major League.

Fitzgerald took over the reins of the club in November last year and guided them to victory in the mid-season final of the Wray & Nephew KSAFA Championship & Major League on February 23.

After playing out a 0-0 draw at full time with New Kingston FC, Cooreville Gardens prevailed 5-4 on penalties to lift their first football title in a very long time.

He wasn’t happy with the first-half performance of his team in what was a very important game for the club.

“The first half I was very upset because we were very timid. We weren’t playing like we were competitive … like we were a bit nervous,” he said.

Fitzgerald revealed that he gave his players the “hairdryer treatment” at halftime and was pleased with what he saw in the second half.

“I gave them a bit of a rough up at halftime and they came out and played more like how I wanted them to play in the second half.”

He said that he was confident that his players could get the job done if it came down to penalties.

“The closest we came (to scoring) was hitting the crossbar, but we knew that we have some very good penalty kickers, so if it came down to penalties, I was pretty confident that we could have pulled it off.”

With the club being in the doldrums for quite a long time, Fitzgerald hopes that this mid-season success will be the catalyst for even greater things come the end of the season.

“Cooreville has been in the league for years, so it is nice that I was able to help them, along with the management and coaching staff, to a trophy because footballers play to win titles and trophies. We are very thankful for this one and we hope it can be a springboard to take us forward in the Major League.

“For a very long time, this is the first trophy that the club has won, so it’s a good look for the club and a good look for the community,” he added.

Fitzgerald revealed that the ultimate target this season is lifting the KSAFA Major League trophy which will help Cooreville Gardens gain promotion to the Super League.

“That’s the one we really want. This is just a motivational factor for us, but the one that we are truly after is the Major League title because we want to bring the team to the Super League. So, first, you have to reach the finals, so we are building up to that,” he stated.

The former Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League coach is certain that victory in the Wray & Nephew KSAFA Major League mid-season final is just what his squad needs as they approach the second half of the campaign.

“It will boost their confidence immensely. I asked two days ago how many people have ever reached a final and only two hands went up, so you must know what (the result) has done for this team.”