CATHERINE HALL, St James — Montego Bay United (MBU) climbed to their highest position in their second season in the Red Stripe Premier League after a rugged 1-0 victory over Boys’ Town at Montego Bay Sports Complex in the first Monday Night Game to be played in the city.

Fabian McCarthy’s third-minute penalty saw MBU move from seventh to fourth, tied with third-placed Waterhouse on 26 points, but with an inferior goal difference.

At the other end of the spectrum, the struggles of Boys’ Town since winning the End-of-Round Final continued as they extended their winless streak to five and just one point out of a possible 15.

Boys’ Town finished the game with 10 players as Carlos Wright was sent off in the 85th for his second caution of the game.

After the game, played in front of one of the biggest crowds to watch a Premier League fixture in Montego Bay this season, Boys Town coach Andrew Pryce was still searching for a reason for the slump.

“The ball is just not running for us right now and we are not as clinical in front of goal,” he said. “But we will continue to work through this slump.”

Pryce told reporters he was “disappointed as the team put in a lot of effort… but we will work until we get it right”.

For Montego Bay United coach Dr Dean Weatherly who was overseeing the western club’s first win over Boys Town on the pitch since they returned to the Premier League, it was a “good feeling”.

MBU were awarded points from their game against Boys’ Town in the first round last year after the Kingston club used an ineligible player in a 1-1 draw.

After scoring early and holding on despite sustained pressure from a desperate Boys’ Town, Weatherly was proud of his team’s defence, saying they had worked hard on team defence during training sessions and was proud of the overall performance at that end of the field.

Monday night MBU started with a lot of speedy players in attack and it paid dividends early.

A minute after Boys’ Town goalkeeper Kirk Porter was forced to punch out a cross from the right, MBU were awarded a penalty when Wright fouled Allan Ottey just inside the 18-yard box. McCarthy stepped up to beat Porter to his right with a low hard shot.

Boys’ Town eventually took over the game through the midfield and Romeo Parks shot just wide of the goal in the 18th after a patient build-up.

They also got two late chances when Daemon Benjamin shot right at goalkeeper Davain Watkins in the 33rd, while Hugh Evan’s brilliant long-range effort missed the right post by inches in time added at the end of the first half.

TEAMS:

Montego Bay United — Lesley St Fleur, Dino Williams, Brian Brown (Kemiro James-66th), Allan Ottey, Dwayne Ambusley, Oliver Trail (Keneil Kirlew-77th), Fabian McCarthy, Ladale Richie, Cordel Simpson, Orlando McBayne, Davain Watkins (Garen Downie-65th)

Subs not used: J Barrett, W Wilkinson, O Braham, O Gordon

Booked: Brown-39th, Ambusley-84th, Kirlew-89th, Ottey-95th

Boys’ Town — Kirk Porter, Hugh Evans, Wayne Ellis, Carlos Wright, Asrick Samuels, Daemon Benjamin, Oneil Thompson, Marvin Morgan (Fabian Francis-46th, Michael Campbell, Romeo Parkes (Shane Edwards-85th), Marvin Stewart (Khalil Dennis-71st)

Subs not used: L Goffe, N McMorris, G Gillespie, R Dennis

Booked: Wright-2nd

Sent off: Wright 85th

Referee: Courtney Campbell

Assistants: Richard Washington, Nicholas Anderson

Fourth Official: Nakassa Martin

Match Commissary: Fitzroy Reid