Mt Pleasant earn first Caribbean Cup point in 1-1 draw with Salcedo

KINGSTON, Jamaica — Defending champions Mt Pleasant FA earned their first point in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup Group B after playing out a 1-1 draw with Salcedo FC at Estadio Moca in Moca, Dominican Republic on Wednesday. In an entertaining game where both teams created scoring chances, Mt Pleasant FA took the lead early but the home team battled back to snatch a point early in the second half to takeover the lead on five points and extend their unbeaten run. Warner Brown fired Mt Pleasant into the lead in the seventh minute when he ran onto a pass from Trayvone Reid and fired  past goalkeeper Favio Marte at his near left post. Shaquan Davis kept Mt Pleasant in the lead in the 42nd minute when he went low to his right to block a shot that was inches from the goalline. After being kept in their half for most of the first half, Salcedo started the second half on the front foot and were rewarded early when Sebastian Ramos fired a left-footed volley past Davis in the 49th minute to level the scores. Three brilliant saves from Salcedo’s goalkeeper in a 90- second span, denied Mt Pleasant the lead and kept the home team in the game. Marte pulled off a fantastic double save in the 66th minute when he blocked a shot from Brown from just inside the penalty spot and was back on his feet in a flash to block the rebound that fall to Reid. A minute later he was well placed again to block a shot from Reid from just outside the six- yard box. Davis was also called on at the other end to make a good save when he just got his glove to a low, hard cross from the right side, redirecting the ball to a teammate. —    Paul A Reid