BOYS’ Town coach Andrew Price was happy to hold onto a straw of hope after Daemon Benjamin struck a late goal in the 2-1 victory over leaders Portmore United in the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) Monday Night encounter at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex.

Oneil Thompson scored the opener for Boys’ Town in the 43rd minute, but Portmore’s Rickcardo Harriott hit the equaliser in the 68th before Benjamin (76th) hit home a deflected free-kick.

Price said his senior players came to the fore and piled the pressure on the less experienced Portmore team.

“I think we played well. I can’t really fault the effort that I got from the team today. I told the senior players that they would have to come out and stamp their class and authority. It’s a young Portmore team and they felt the pressure from us today,” he said.

Portmore, on 66 points and needing only a point to cop the crown, fought valiantly but in the end they were out-muscled by an experienced and spirited Boys’ Town outfit.

The St Catherine-based team will now turn its attention to the final match of the season at home to Waterhouse to finally etch its name on a fifth national title.

The win moved second-placed Boys’ Town to 63 points and keeps them in with a mathematical chance of taking the championship with just one round of games to be played. Price’s team will travel to Clarendon to face Humble Lion in their final encounter.

Portmore remain in pole position as they have a superior goal difference of plus 11 to Boys’ Town’s plus seven, and can still possibly top the standings, even if defeated by Waterhouse.

Price said his “resilient team” will be gunning for a wide victory margin against Humble Lion and hoping Waterhouse can do them a favour.

“We are a resilient team. We are going to give an honest effort in that match. We just have to try and get some goals and look to get a victory and we have to hope we get some help from Waterhouse. That’s the only way we can challenge for the title,” Price said.

Head coach of Portmore, Calvin Lewis, agreed that his team is suffering some nervy moments as the season winds down, but maintains Portmore are well set to get the job done.

“They are young players and time to time they are agitated because they know that a draw is good for us. We (the coaching staff) keep telling them that the league goes to the last game so prepare for it. We are still in a good position so we need to get what we need from the last game,” Lewis said.

Lewis added: “I’m disappointed but the work goes on. We didn’t play badly tonight (Monday night) but we conceded goals from set pieces. We came to win this game but we lost to a deflected goal.”

In a high-tempo first half, Portmore provided the first threat within five minutes when Ricardo Morris stung the palms of Boys’ Town custodian Kirk Porter with a rasping left-footer.

Approximately seven minutes later Boys’ Town came even closer when captain Campbell powered a right-footed free-kick from 20 yards that cannoned into the upright with Portmore goalkeeper Gariece McPherson rooted to the spot.

Boys’ Town took the lead two minutes before the break when the Portmore defence failed to clear Campbell’s free-kick and looked on haplessly as the towering Thompson bundled the ball home.

The early exchanges of the second half matched the excitement of the first, but lacked some of its quality as both teams carelessly lost possession in promising positions.

Midway the half, Portmore managed to pull level when Rosario Harriot pounced on a loose ball and accurately crossed for Rickcardo Harriott to slot home from inside the six-yard box.

A desperate passage of play ensued as Portmore gallantly battled to keep the 1-1 score that would gift them the 2011-12 triumph and the Boys’ Town supporters passionately urged their players to stream forward in search of the goal that would keep the hopes of a miracle alive.

Their prayers were answered 14 minutes before close, when Benjamin’s 30-yard effort redirected off a player standing in the wall and wrong-footed the unfortunate McPherson.

Teams:

Boys’ Town — Kirk Porter, Hugh Evans (Shane Edwards 83rd), Carlos Wright, Wayne Ellis,

Xavian Virgo, Oneil Thompson (Jermaine Allen 66th), Daemon Benjamin, Marvin Stewart,

Michael Campbell (Anthony Bennett 90+4),

Marvin Morgan, Rafiek Thomas

Subs not used: R Campbell, K Binns, J Williams,

N Wyatt

Booked: Ellis (24th)

Portmore United — Gariece McPherson,

Adrian Reid, Rickcardo Harriott, Damian Binns, Rosario Harriot, Damian Williams (John-Ross Doyley 82nd), Ewan Grandison, Paul Wilson

(Eric Vernan 67th), Ricardo Morris

(Bryan Bayliss 72nd), Roen Nelson, Alanzo Adlam

Subs not used: S Paul, U Edwards, A Powell,

A Christie

Booked: Binns (34th), Grandison (71st),

Williams (76th)

Referee: Raymond Bogle

Assistants: Garnet Page and Lloyd Reader

Fourth Official: Wilverglen Lamey

Match Commissary: Horace Lewis