CATHERINE HALL, St James — Montego Bay United came within minutes of creating local football history by beating a Major League Soccer club after giving up a 3-0 lead and had to settle for a 3-3 draw against DC United in their ScotiaBank Champions League return-round game at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Tuesday night.

Two goals from Dino Williams after Jermaine Woozencroft had scored Montego Bay United’s first-ever Champions League goal mid-way the first half had given the Red Stripe Premier League team what looked to be a safe lead after 49 minutes.

The more experienced DC United, who were conceding a goal for the first time in the competition, clawed their way back into the game with goals from Jairo Arrietta in the 59th minute, Kofi Opare in the 78th minute and Michael Farfan in time added, effectively crashing the party for the Jamaicans.

Montego Bay United became the first Jamaican Premier League team to earn a point from an MLS opponent after DC United beat Waterhouse twice last year 1-0 and 2-1. The goals scored on a cool Tuesday night also marked the first time they were scoring in the competition after losing their two previous games by 3-0 margins.

DC United, who had qualified for the quarter-finals before arriving here on Monday, lead Zone H with 10 points, while Arabe Unido, whom MBU will play next month, are on three points with the local team at the foot of the tables on one.

Timothy Hankinson, coach of the Montego Bay team, was pleased with the performance of the team and said coming from two big losses, Tuesday’s performance was a major step up.

“Certainly the most important thing is if you look back a few weeks ago when we played DC United in Washington and losing 3-0 there and to come back and have the lead we did and to draw with them even though we are at home is a great improvement for the club,” he said at a post-game press conference.

“It’s an important positive to build on, especially continuing in the Red Stripe Premier League, it’s also important that going into an international tournament like that it is not always winning at the first time you are participating,” he said. “It’s about learning and gaining experience and seeing which players are big game players and you learn from this.”

The experienced American coach added that while the six goals might have been exciting for fans, including the handful of DC United supporters, his team had a letdown late in the game, but said “we had a brilliant first half”.

Williams and Woozencroft were singled out for praise by Hankinson, who said “Dino as the lone striker is tough as he always had two big centre backs mugging him, but he handled it well”. “Woozencroft was good on the wings, but he ran out of gas… but all the players who were in the first game raised their games tonight,” said Hankinson.

Chad Ashton, assistant coach for DC United, who deputised for Ben Olsen, was happy for the point, but noted his players did not go into the game as focused as they should have been.

“This result keeps us on course for a top seed in the next round and I am proud of the team for their resilience, coming back from three goals down,” he said. “We did not show up ready to play, we took things for granted in the first half and they did not know what hit them… so (we) give Montego Bay United credit as they played well in the first half and had us on heels,” Ashton added.

Both teams made one change each to the teams that played on August 25 in Washington DC. In the case of Montego Bay United, they replaced the suspended Allan Ottey with midfielder Kemar Drake, while DC replaced Finnish defender Markus Halsti with Connor Doyle.

Williams had the first chance at goal, as in the 21st minute goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra was forced to block his efforts twice at the right post.

MBU grabbed the lead in the 26th minute when a quickly taken free kick from the edge of the box by Dwayne Ambusley put Woozencroft through, who dribbled into the area and beat the advancing DC United goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra with a firm, low shot.

Williams made it 2-0 three minutes later when he rocketed a first-time left-footer from a cross from Donovan Carey past the goalkeeper much to the delight of fans.

Full of confidence, the home team created a number of scoring chances and they had the visitors on their heels, but a looping header from Williams was saved in the 37th minute, while a timely interception from Opare in the 38th prevented the busy Williams from a clear run at Dykstra.

DC United had a clear scoring chance in the 41st minute, but after Jacomeno Barrett saved the first shot, a defender blocked the second shot on the line.

Four minutes into the second half, Montego Bay United were awarded a penalty kick after Jared Jeffrey tripped Carey just inside the 18-yard area and Williams cannoned the spot kick into the goal.

Arietta pulled one back for DC United in the 59th minute as he was first to react after his shot was blocked by Barrett and slotted home before an MBU defender could make a challenge.

Opare, who had scored in the previous game against Montego Bay United, headed one past Barrett in the 78th minute to pull his team to within a goal and Farfan completed the comeback when he was left alone in the box and curled the ball past Barrett into the far left corner of the goal.