Portmore move up to second in JPL
PORTMORE UNITED ousted Cavalier from second place in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) after Alex Marshall’s 36th-minute penalty saw them to a 1-0 win over the former league leaders.
The result lifted the Philip Williams-coached Portmore to 45 points, the same as Cavalier but with a better goal difference.
Both teams are now four points adrift of current table-toppers Mount Pleasant.
“Cavalier are a good team and these are the teams you have to beat to get a good assessment of your team, and today was a good game,”Williams commented.
Portmore have now stretched their unbeaten streak to 16 matches and occupy one of the two automatic semifinal spots, but Williams is not overly excited with this latest achievement.
“There is no advantage or disadvantage in getting a (semifinal) bye to the playoffs. It is what it is and if our performance is deserving of a place in the top two, then we’ll accept it,” he said.
Portmore dominated possession for the first 25 minutes but their best chances came from a Martin Davis blocked effort and a weak attempt by Jamari Morrison after he was set up by Marshall.
Cavalier came into their own briefly in the latter part of the half but their best attempt was a 25-yard strike from Shaniel Thomas.
Portmore took the lead after 36 minutes when they were awarded a penalty after Stephen Barnett was brought down inside the area, and Marshall sent Jaedine White the wrong way for the opener.
Both teams created good openings after the break with Gadail Irving hitting the bar from a free kick for Cavalier, while Davis could not turn his header on goal after collecting a good cross at the back post.
However, as the half went on Portmore created the better openings with patient, methodical build-ups, but they failed to really trouble White in goal.
Jalmaro Calvin of Cavalier had a great chance from a quick break but flashed his header over from six yards.
Cavalier’s workmanlike effort in the second half nearly paid off when Calvin slammed a shot against the post in the 76th minute and Jerome McLeary headed against the post in stoppage time.
Cavalier’s coach Rudolph Speid thought his team did enough in the second half to warrant a point, but argued that poor calls have been contributing to their dip in form.
“We hit the post three times and had some good chances but that is how it goes sometimes,” he said.
“We just have to make sure we stay in the top six. We have lost form badly, aided and abetted by some atrocious calls.
“It is happening too often, in every game for the last four matches and I don’t know what is happening,” Speid said.