Dos Santos happy with MBU's top six

BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer

Friday, February 10, 2012

CATHERINE HALL, St James — Montego Bay United's Brazillian coach Neider Dos Santos is happy the team has achieved one of its goals — reaching the top six in the points table of the Red Stripe Premier League and enhancing their chances of bidding for the title.

End-of-second-round champions Montego Bay extended their unbeaten run to 15 games after being held to a 0-0 draw by Boys' Town in their third round game at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Wednesday evening.

Montego Bay United are in sixth place on 33 points, tied with seventh-placed Harbour View, but with a superior goal difference. They are two points behind fifth-placed Humble Lion.

Dos Santos admitted the one point was not what they had set out to achieve at home, but told the Observer, "We tried hard to win this game up to the end... but we're now in the top six and we hope to stay there. We deserved to win this game."

Looking at the positives, Dos Santos said while they had fixed some problems from their match against Tivoli Gardens where they conceded two goals, they still needed to convert but pointed out that the RSPL was "a very difficult league to win", pointing to Harbour View's earlier defeat to lowly-placed Highgate United.

Boys' Town coach Andrew Price said his team had not fully recovered from playing a tough KSAFA Jackie Bell Knock-Out semi-final game against Harbour View on Sunday, then having to travel to Montego Bay for a tough game.

He said his team "got stronger in the second half" after the players "took a bit longer to warm up and we were under pressure in the first 20 minutes".

Boys' Town appeared to be slowing the game down in the first 30 minutes, taking longer than usual to convert spot kicks and throw-ins, but Price said this was not their plan.

MBU had a double chance to score late in the first half but Boys' Town goalkeeper Kirk Porter blocked a shot from the left side and Mouracio Gordon hit the post with the rebound.

Leon Irving then steered a header just wide as time ran out in the first half.

Boys' Town dominated possession in the second half and created the two best chances. Shane Edwards just missed putting them ahead in the 57th, but missed the target by inches after picking up a cross from Marvin Stewart.

MBU's goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett came off his line in the 63rd to force Daemon Benjamin to shoot wide after he was sent through down the middle of the opponents' defence.

MBU gradually took over the game and created several late scoring chances, but Gordon missed badly from point-blank in the 80th and opted to go for the top left-hand corner of the goal in the 87th, despite having three teammates in front of the goal whom he could pass to.