Long road back for Treasure Beach

Despite a winning return to the Wray and Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Premier League (JPL), Treasure Beach FC head coach Kemar Ricketts said there is a still a long road ahead before they can return to normalcy.

Treasure Beach returned to league action over the weekend when they defeated Portmore United FC 2-0 at St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) on Sunday.

The win was their first game since the passage of Hurricane Melissa, as the club was severely impacted by the storm that made landfall St Elizabeth.

Ricketts said it was a good feeling to see the club back in action and to produce a positive result for the community.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

"It's a wonderful feeling getting back to action. It was kind of hard to be out of action and seeing the league restart without us being a part of it. We're still a bit off but we're getting there," the Treasure Beach coach said.

"It was very important for us because it was a light in the darkness for all the fans who came out for us. Being able to give them that joy and to put smiles on their faces, it was really important for us."

Ricketts praised his players for the win and said it was important to get a winning start in front of their home fans.

He explained that much of their preparation for the game was to ensure the players were mentally past the devastation of the hurricane, and back into a competitive mindset.

"I think it was a 10 out of 10 performance from the boys," Ricketts said.

"We didn't really focus much on Portmore in terms of preparing for the game, but it was more about us. It was more of mental preparation than a physical one because, after a long time out, we needed to have the team ready."

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Ricketts explained the club has received some support from fellow JPL teams and other footballing organisations, including Mount Pleasant Football Academy, Portmore United, KemTek Development & Construction Limited, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and Soccer Xpress, among others.

However, there are still areas which have yet to fully recover from the hurricane, like the players' dormitories and food supplies.

"We have been getting some support but we're still a bit off in terms of certain things we still need. The dorms are partially up but the lack of consistent current is still giving us a bit of an issue," Ricketts explained.

"There is also the matter of food. We still don't have an adequate supply of food for the boys and, in a time like this, prices are a bit high, so we're still looking at corporate Jamaica to look our way and lend a hand to us, because we're trying our best to put our best foot forward."

Treasure Beach's next game will see them play Spanish Town Police FC on Sunday, December 28 at Waterhouse Mini Stadium.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com