CATHERINE HALL, St James — Montego Bay United ended their string of futility in the Red Stripe Premier League on Sunday by beating Highgate United, 3-1, at the Montego Bay Sports Complex after losing their first three games.

Two players got their maiden Premier League goals. Guyanese national Sean Beveny scored in his first outing, while former Rusea’s striker Brian Brown got his first. Alan Ottey got his first of the season for the winners, who moved up into 10th place.

Shamir Stewart scored a late goal for Highgate, who are still searching for their first win of the season and are at the bottom of the tables on two points.

MoBay United’s coach, Nedier dos Santos, welcomed the “improved performance” and said it was due mainly to getting back some players who were out with either injuries or suspension.

He said he was “upset about our performance and results before today”, but added they still had improvement to make. “We are still not converting as we should as we had more chances to score,” he added.

Calvin Lewis, the Highgate coach, told the Jamaica Observer he has similar issues to the Montego Bay United’s coach as he said his team has to take to many chances before scoring one goal.

“We score once in every five chances,” he said, “and that ratio is too wide.”

Lewis, who led Portmore to the title last year before returning to the club he took to the top-flight two seasons ago, said he liked how his team looked in offence, but said they had a lot of improvement to make at the other end.

“We did not defend well and this is one thing we will have to emphasise, but overall I liked how we moved the ball,” he said.

Beveny, who is one of two Guyanese signed in the off-season, gave the home team an early lead when he scored with a header from a corner in the 8th minute, while Ottey added a second in the 20th for a 2-0 half-time lead.

Brown scored the best goal of the game in the 71st with a brilliant solo effort, beating goalkeeper Ralston Robinson at the top of the box, then beating two more defenders before shooting into an unprotected net to seal the points.

The St Mary-based Highgate pulled one back in the 79th when Stewart beat goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett to his left with a powerful shot that lodged into the corner of the goal.

Teams:

Montego Bay United — Jacomeno Barrett, Fabian McCarthy, Dwayne Ambusley, Winston Wilkinson, Jerome Eccleston, Allan Ottey (Omar Gordon, 67th), Richard Orrette, Graeme Green, Kemiro James, Brian Brown, Shawn Beveny (Orlando McBayne, 46th

Subs not used: D Carey, L St Fleur, K Kirlew, C Simpson, J Barrett, R Reynolds, J Fisher

Booked: McCarthy, (78th), Brown (82nd)

Highgate United — Ralston Robinson, Andre Dyce, Gawayne Speed, Carlos Barrett, Barrington James, Severo Murphy, Roberto Fletcher (Jerome Wedderburn, 46th), David Boswell, Shamir Stewart, Donovan Davis, Dennis Neish

Subs not used: A Thomas, F Watson, M Evans, J Hutchinson, C Baugh

Booked: James (48th), Dyce (73rd)

Referee: Dwight Royal

Assistant Referees: Kedlee Powell, Swason Owen

Fourth Official: Valdin Ledgister

Match Commissary: Tracey Reid