DESPITE getting different results, both Portmore United’s Andre Waugh and Dr Dean Weatherly who took charge of Montego Bay United in the Red Stripe Premier League for the first time this season on Wednesday, described their team as “a work in progress”.

It was the best both coaches could come up with after a drab contest that lacked imagination and urgenc, with Portmore emerging 2-1 winners at Montego Bay Sports Complex as the home team slumped to their fifth loss in six outings.

Portmore, who were winning their second game, improved to seven points in seventh place, while MBU remained in 10th place on three points.

Odoah Nickles in the 40th minute and former MBU striker Mauricio Gordon in the 51st gave Portmore a 2-0 lead before Orlando McBayne pulled one back for the home team with a ‘screamer’ from 25 yards in the 60th before being substituted seven minutes later due to injury.

Waugh told the Jamaica Observer he was grateful for the three points.

“It is always good to get three points,” he said, “We have played better and got nothing to show for it, so this is a positive for get a win.”

He said while the team did not play “as well as I wanted, this is a work in progress and we are seeing some positive signs”.

Weatherly, who took over after Brazillian Neider dos Santos, walked off the job earlier in the week, said his players improved as the game progressed, but while creating scoring chances, failed to convert.

“This is the same story all season long,” he lamented, but said there was still time to improve.

“There is still a lot of football to come this season so this is a work in progress,” he said, adding that with a “slightly different philosophy than the previous coach, we will see what we can get”.

Weatherly said it was “silly mistakes” that led to the goals conceded.

Back-to-back corners from either side of the field in the 40th left the MBU defence wide open and goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett was beaten at his near left post by Nickles, who was left unmarked.

Ricardo Morris should have put Portmore further ahead on the stroke of half-time, but his left-footer was blacked by Barrett for a corner.

Another defensive error six minutes into the second half left Gordon wide open in front of the and he gave Barrett no chance when he shot into an open goal to push his team further ahead.

McBayne scored the best goal of the game on the stroke of the hour when he picked up a weak clearance just outside the box and struck powerfully past goalkeeper Carlloyd Walters.

The MBU coaching staff made several changes, replacing McBayne at right-back with the ineffective Allan Ottey, slotting Keneil Moodie in the midfield and using Brian Brown, Omar Gordon and Lesley St Fleur upfront.

This helped to give them the edge, pushing Portmore back into their own defensive area for long periods, but failed to at least get another goal that would have earned them a point.