HUMBLE Lion moved off the foot of the Digicel Premier League (DPL) points standing, but remain in the relegation zone after Denzil Watson’s second-half penalty carried them to a 1-0 win over 10-man Reno at Effortville Community Centre on Sunday.

The win put the Lenworth Hyde-coached team on 37 points, the same as Benfica, but the Clarendon side holds a better goal difference.

Hyde said although it was a good victory his team needs to put away more of their chances.

“Any other result today would be detrimental to us, so I am glad for the three points, but we should be trying to score more goals, because we should have scored more today,” he said.

The home team had the better of the first-half and had their first good chance through Omando McLoud, from a header after 15 minutes.

Five minutes later Carlington Smith had the goal at his mercy after Reno goalkeeper Dennis Clayton parried Wolry Wolfe’s shot into his path, but he hesitated to kick first time and had his shot blocked.

Thirty-five minutes into the contest the former Portmore United striker, Smith, then flashed a header that Clayton had to tip over the bar.

Then in the closing minutes of the half Jermaine Ricketts shot just wide of the target from 35 yards.

Reno’s best chance of the half came as a result of Wolfe’s miscued clearance that rebounded off his own crossbar in the 21st minute.

In the first 10 minutes after the break, the home team test Clayton from three set-piece efforts, with Kimroy Davis, Wolfe and Smith all coming close.

Things took a bad turn for Reno when Omar Johnson was shown a straight red card for a rugged challenge of a Humble Lion player after 57 minutes.

And Humble Lion took the lead minutes later when Mark Miller latched on to a long ball from Kirk Duckworth and beat Reno’s Andrae Patterson with his first touch to head inside the area before he was cut down by the said player.

Watson then slotted home the resulting kick to put the hosts ahead.

Humble Lion continued to create openings after the goal but just could not take advantage, as a number of good opportunities went abegging.

Reno, who were kept quiet for most of the match, got a good chance to steal a point in the final minute of play, as the ball fell to Sheldon Bryan kindly inside the box, but his strike was blocked.

Reno’s coach Michael Graham said poor officiating was the main cause for his team’s defeat. “With these types of officiating we can’t reach nowhere in Jamaica in football,” blasted the former national striker.

Teams: Humble Lion — Christopher Louden, Adrian Mitchell, Kimroy Davis, Wolry Wolfe, Kirk Duckworth, Tyrone Sawyers, Omando McLoud (Jermaine Christian 92nd), Carlington Smith (Peter Brown 88th), Denzil Watson (Kevin Lamey 71st), Jermaine Ricketts, Mark Miller.

Booked: Ricketts (17th), Mitchell (89th)

Subs not used: R Campbell, S Sawyers, J Nugent, M Johnson

Reno — Dennis Clayton, Omar Johnson, Linval Wilson, Omar Dallas, Andrae Patterson, Shane Anderson (Damion Jackson 83rd), Kevon Grant, Orane Warren, Leon Lewis (Troy Reid 45th), Kenroy Huchinson, Shashamarley Barrett (Sheldon Bryan 71st).

Booked: O Johnson (57th ejected), Patterson (51st)

Subs not used: A Loney, J Foster, T Perry, M Richards

Referee: Dave Peterkin

Assistant Referees: Garnett Page, Oyinco Merchant

Fourth Official: Wilverglen Lamey

Match Commissary: Darlton Wint