KINGSTON, Jamaica – St Ann’s- based Mt Pleasant FA have qualified for their first ever Jamaica Premier League final after beating former champions Arnett Gardens 3-1 in Sunday’s return leg semifinals at Sabina Park for a 5-3 aggregate.

The teams came into the game locked at 2-2 after last week’s first leg but a double from the competition’s top scorer Trivante Stewart took the Theodore Whitmore-coached team to a comprehensive victory, snapping Arnett Gardens’ 17-game unbeaten run.

Mt Pleasant will play the winner of the other semi-final between defending champions Harbour View and Cavalier FC in the final.

Unlike the first leg when Arnett Gardens came from a goal down twice to earn the draw, the South St Andrew-based team was out of the gate first when Deandre Cunningham scored his first goal of the season when he powered the ball past the Mt Pleasant goalkeeper in the 15th minute.

Stewart, however, struck twice in a seven-minute span, the first in the 33rd minute to tie up the game 3-3 on aggregate, then gave Mt Pleasant FA the lead for good in the 40th minute as they led 2-1 at half time.

Shande James added a third goal in the 86th minute to take the game away from Arnett Gardens and put Mount Pleasant into the final for the first time.

– Paul A Reid