CATHERINE HALL, St James — Defending champions Montego Bay United officially secured their place in the play-offs in the Red Stripe Premier League on Monday after playing out a dour 0-0 draw with Portmore United, in a repeat of last season's final, at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.
The point earned saw Montego Bay United improve to 52 points, tied with third-placed Tivoli Gardens, behind leaders The University of the West Indies (UWI) FC on 58 points and Humble Lion on 57. Portmore United is in fifth place on 48 points and yet to cement their play-off spot.
UWI have secured a top two position and will earn a bye directly to the semi-finals, while Humble Lion, Tivoli Gardens and Montego Bay United are all sure of a play in the six-team play-offs set to start in late April.
Monday night's game fell way short of the quality expected from the teams that excited and entertained last year in a final that delivered in almost every category.
Montego Bay United's Coach Rod Underwood said he is never happy playing for a draw, especially at home, while Portmore United's Lenworth Hyde said his tired team will take a point away from home and be satisfied.
"We never play for a tie, especially at home," said the American Underwood, who pointed out a number of positives that his team achieved.
"At the end of the day, we had three things in the final third — create chances, we did that; take chances, we did that; finish chances we didn't," he told the Jamaica Observer.
"This was the best football we have played in weeks and the first clean sheet since I have been here, so lots of positives, but we have to score goals."
Hyde did not try to add gloss to his team's pedantic display. "A draw is good enough for us. Most definitely, we did not lose the game and we didn't play well either, so when you playing like that and get a point I think that's excellent."
He added: "We didn't have a good first half, but stood up in the second half; we came here and took the point as we couldn't win the game, as we were not playing as fluently as we usually do. There is fatigue setting in, we travelled today and we will travel again on Thursday to Reno, so its good to rest some players and give others a run."
Portmore were lucky not to trail by 0-2 at half-time as Donovan Carey missed a gilt-edged chance in front of an open goal and Owayne Gordon also missed a handful of scoring chances.
Montego Bay United could not capitalise in the 20th minute when Portmore United's goalkeeper Shaven-Sean Paul failed to secure the ball twice in one series — first from a free kick taken by Gordon and again from the rebound shot by Jermaine Woozencroft.
Carey missed the best chance of the game when he ran on to a cross from Keniel Kirlew in the 27th minute, but with Paul out of the way, stranded at the far post, the midfielder blasted the ball over the bar.
Gordon came close again in the 39th minute when his header was directed just over the bar.
In one of the few touches of the ball in the first half, Montego Bay United's goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett almost gifted Portmore the lead in the 42nd minute when he mishandled the ball and it flew over his head and just over the crossbar for a corner.
Gordon should have done better early in the second half when he had one defender to beat inside the 18-yard box, but made two turns that were necessary and a defender came back to clear the ball out of danger.
Barrett was forced into his first real save in the 53rd minute when he blocked a shot at his left hand post after Portmore made a rare run into the Montego Bay United area.
An off-colour Gordon missed another chance in the 70th minute when Woozencroft set him up nicely with a pass from just on the left side of the Portmore penalty area, but he shot wide instead of continuing his run at the goal.
Teams: Montego Bay United — Jacomeno Barrett, Nicholas Stewart, Orlando McBayne (Jourdaine Fletcherb 80th), Fabian McCarthy, Keneil Kirlew, Dwayne Ambusley, Jermaine Woozencroft, Owayne Gordon, Allan Ottey (Johann Weatherly 66th, Dino Williams 85th), Donovan Carey, Ladale Richie
Subs not used: Winston Wilkinson, David Swaby, John Barrett
Booked: Woozencroft (31st)
Portmore United — Shaven-Sean Paul, Damano Solomon, Ryan Wellington, Kareem Manning, Robert Johnson, Ewan Grandison (Kambuji McCalla 83rd), Michael Binns, Suelae McCalla (Stephen Williams 82nd), Ricardo Morris (Moalique Morris 78th), Cleon Pryce, Javon East
Subs not used: Eric Edwards, Henrico Ricketts, Shai Smith, Kemo Gayle, Osani Ricketts
Booked: Binns (57th)
Referee: Karl Tyrell
Assistant Referees: Keble Williams, Lloyd Edwards
Fourth Official: Daneon Parchment
Match Commissary: Tracey Reid
Source: www.bing.com
