Saint Lucian footballers Melvin Doxilly and Vino Barclett have been friends and teammates for over a decade, but this weekend, they will face off as rivals in the Wray & Nephew Jamaica Premier League final.
Cavalier SC and Mount Pleasant Football Academy meet for the third consecutive year, with Barclett, the Vieux Fort goalkeeper, guarding the net for defending champions Cavalier, while Doxilly, the versatile Gros Islet defender, could feature for 2023 winners Mount Pleasant.
Both players are mainstays in the Saint Lucia men’s national team, having played together since the U-15 level. They reunited at Cavalier in 2020, helping the Kingston club end a 40-year drought by winning the JPL title. Doxilly later moved to Mount Pleasant in 2022 and lifted the trophy that same season after defeating Cavalier at Sabina Park, playfully mocking his former club for letting him go.
After a brief stint with Portmore United in 2024, the 27-year-old Doxilly returned to Mount Pleasant earlier this season. Though he has been in and out of the match day squad and starting lineup, making just eight appearances, his experience and leadership remain valuable assets.
Meanwhile, Barclett has been instrumental in Cavalier’s recent success. In last year’s Concacaf Caribbean Cup, he conceded only three goals in five games, earning Best Goalkeeper in the Caribbean honours and guiding his team to the Concacaf Champions Cup. Though he allowed four goals against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, he has been outstanding in this JPL campaign, keeping nine clean sheets in 29 matches. In the playoffs, he has conceded just twice in four games, with two shutouts.
Regardless of their individual roles, one of these Saint Lucian standouts will claim a third JPL title in five years. Historically, Cavalier hold the edge with eight wins to Mount Pleasant’s five in 23 meetings, with 10 draws. Their last six encounters have been evenly split—two wins apiece and two draws —with their most recent match ending 1-1.
As the top two teams, both Mount Pleasant and Cavalier have secured spots in the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup. Elsewhere, Arnett Gardens, the Caribbean Shield winners, will face Montego Bay United in the third-place playoff for a chance to defend their title. Arnett fell to Cavalier in the semifinals, while Montego Bay were beaten by Mount Pleasant.
