Goalkeeper Jean Luke Wilmot emerged as the star for Constant Spring FC in the mid-season final of the Wray & Nephew KSAFA Championship League.

His heroics between the sticks, during both regulation time and in the ensuing penalty shootout to decide the winners, ensured that his team defeated Olympic Gardens FC 5-3 on penalties to secure their first title of the season.

The 24-year-old, who has been a player at the club since the age of sixteen, has experienced the highs and lows at Constant Spring for eight years. In that time, Wilmot has tasted victory and endured defeat in finals appearances. These experiences helped him deal with the pressure in the mid-season final, especially during the dreaded penalty kicks.

“Penalties are something that we were working on in training. For me personally, the final was just a regular game. I was simply doing my job to help the team win,” he explained.

“This win is very, very good for us because we reached the final last year and fell short. This time, we were determined not to settle for second place. We aimed to win, and we did,” he continued.

Wilmot hopes that the mid-season final victory will serve as a catalyst for the club to achieve their ultimate goal this season and surpass last year's performance.

“It's a booster for the team, for everyone. A victory always boosts morale. But the real aim for the team this season is to go one step further than last year and become the Championship League champions.”

Wilmot celebrated the win with his two brothers, Javier and Tariq, who also play for the club. However, he believes this victory is just the beginning for the trio.

“It's a dream come true, but it's not the ultimate dream. The dream is to win everything there is to win with my brothers. For this season, it's to be the champions at the end of the season. That's just the tip of the iceberg.”

His only league title win came back in 2018, and Wilmot believes that the arrival of Neville “Bertis” Bell as head coach in January is the key factor that will help them achieve their goals.

“If you asked the players, we would say yes, however, he would say no because we are the ones who play, and it is down to us to execute what we practice.”

The Manuel Neuer and David de Gea fan spoke of the impact Bell has already made in his short time at the helm at Constant Spring.

“There is a sense of familiarity. He has brought the team closer together. The team is now functioning as a family. He is a role model to the players, not just as a coach but as an individual. It is amazing. He is an amazing person and an amazing coach.”

The former Mona High School Manning Cup player says that they will not get carried away with their mid-season success and that they will quickly return their attention to the main job at hand.

“We will take each game one step at a time as we always do for the rest of the campaign,” he concluded.

Jamaica’s preferred rum, Wray & Nephew, is partnering with the Kingston & St. Andrew Football Association (KSAFA) as sponsors of their upcoming KSAFA Major League and Championship seasons.

The pair announced the union at a press conference on Tuesday at the Wray & Nephew headquarters in Kingston.

The KSAFA Wray & Nephew Major League will consist of twelve teams divided into two zones of six.

At the end of the preliminary round, the top four teams from each zone will advance to the quarterfinal knockout round. The two finalists in the Major League will advance to next season’s KSAFA Championship.

The teams participating in the KSAFA Wray & Nephew Major League are Allman Woodward FC, August Town FC, Bull Bay FC, Cooreville Gardens FC, Duhaney Park FC, Maxfield Park FC, New Kingston FC, Pembroke Hall FC, Police Nation FC, Red Hills FC, Rockfort FC and Seaview Gardens FC.

The KSAFA Wray & Nephew Championship will also feature 12 teams but in a league format where all teams will play each other home and away.

At the end of the preliminary round, the top four teams will advance to the semi-final knockout round. The winner of the KSAFA Wray & Nephew Championship will be allowed to participate in the JFF Tier two competition should they wish to do so for a chance to earn promotion to the Jamaica Premier League.

The teams participating in the KSAFA Wray & Nephew Championship are Barbican FC, Boys Town FC, Browns Town FC, Central Kingston, Constant Spring FC, Liguanea United, JDF FC, Mavarley Hughenden, Olympic Gardens FC, Real Mona FC, Santos FC and Shortwood FC.

“I want to thank Wray & Nephew for coming on board. The sponsorship this year is quite a step up to what we had last year, truth be told. For the first time in the history of KSAFA, the winner of the Championship will receive $1 million,” says KSAFA President Mark Bennett.

“This sponsorship is a significant moment in our history. We no longer view sponsorship as support or a social investment, really; it is that and more! It speaks to the confidence the organization has in KSAFA,” he added.

“Today, Wray & Nephew White Overproof Rum charts a new course with the Kingston & St. Andrew Football Association,” said J Wray & Nephew Public Relations and Communications Manager Dominic Bell.

“This partnership is another signal of our consistent support of sports and wider culture throughout the island. Football is one of Jamaica’s most beloved pastimes and is one of the most popular sports at the professional level. It has an organic relationship with our communities and the KSAFA leagues are a testament to this,” Bell added.

Action in both competitions gets underway this weekend.