DEFENDING Red Stripe Premier League champions Portmore United, for the second straight Monday, scored a dramatic added-time goal to secure three points and jump a place to fifth in the standings.

Stephen Williams (29th) and Ryan Wellington (90+) netted for the hosts, who fell behind in the first minute of play after Omando McCloud was gifted a goal.

However, the home team attacked relentlessly and came out deserved winners, although Humble Lion were reduced to 10 men when Peter Brown was ejected nine minutes from time.

“We were under too much pressure from the game started,” Humble Lion’s coach Lenworth Hyde lamented. “We scored a goal and Portmore threw everything at us and we didn’t handle it well.

“Then we went dead in the second half and in the last minute of play,” he stated.

Portmore were off to the worst possible start with just a minute on the clock when goalkeeper Carloyd Walters hesitated on a back pass from Adrian Reid and allowed McCloud to close him down.

In an attempt to clear the danger, the ball rebounded off the burly McCloud and trickled over the line for the opening goal.

However, Portmore then launched a full assault on the visitors and kept their goalkeeper Dwight Heron busy. Paul Wilson came close in the 15th minute, but his powerful shot hit Heron and rebounded into play.

Williams had another great opportunity in the 24th after he broke away, but Heron was quick off his line to deny him.

But just as Humble Lion were appearing to get into the game, the hosts struck. Ricardo Morris picked up a ball on the left and slipped a pass into the area to Williams, who fired a low shot on the turn to beat Heron.

After the break, Humble Lion tried to get more involved, but they were soon overrun by the hosts who continued to miss opportunities, the best of which fell to Andrew Christie who rattled the upright early in the half.

With the game heading for a draw, Portmore upped the tempo and Brown made matters worse for the visitors when he was sent off after picking up a second caution for a tackle on Trevol Smith.

A minute from the end, Wilson was sure he had scored when he fired inside Heron’s near post from 12 yards, but the latter made a heart-stopping save to deny the National U-20 midfielder.

From the resulting corner, just as they did against Tivoli Gardens the previous week, Wellington rose high in a crowded area to nod home the winner to the delight of the Portmore fans.

Portmore’s coach Andre Waugh said the win kept alive his team’s hopes of qualifying for the End-of-Round Final: “It’s not that we want to win these games at the last minute, but such is the nature of football… but our mission is to get to the End-of-Round Final… three points will help us in that regard,” he said.

Teams: Portmore United — Carloyd Walters, Adrian Reid, Ryan Wellington, Rosario Harriott, Kareem Manning, Damian Williams, Ewan Grandison, Paul Wilson, Andrew Christie, Ricardo Morris (Trevol Smith 73rd), Stephen Williams (Mauricio Gordon 46th – Adoah Nickle 65th)

Booked: Nickle (77th)

Subs not used: A Vanzie, N Christian, R Harriott, K foster

Humble Lion — Garth Heron, Adrian Mitchell, Kirk Duckworth, Dwayne Dunk, Francis Ebanks (Mark Miller 46th), Ricardo Campbell, Shauntel Mundle (Damion Barrett 73rd), Peter Brown, Carlington Smith, Jermaine Christian (Denzil Watson 64th), Omando MCloud.

Booked: Brown (60th, 81st), Campbell (74th)

Subs not used: J Messam, P Morris, G Morgan, E Thomas

Refeee: Courtney Campbell

Assistant Referees: Oyinco McTaggart, Stephen Brown

Fourth Official: Karl Tyrell

Match Commissary: Elaine Walker-Brown