TUCKER, St James — Defending champions Montego Bay United (MBU) extended their dominance over Boys’ Town in the Red Stripe Premier League, beating them 2-1 at WesPow Park in Tucker yesterday, winning for the first time at home this season.

Dino Williams gave MBU the lead in the 16th minute with his second goal in as many games, while Allan Ottey, who created the first goal, secured the victory in the second half.

Shemar Nicholson had levelled for the visitors in the 73rd minute with their first goal against MBU in two seasons, as they lost their sixth game in the last seven meetings between the teams.

The win moved MBU to six points with three other teams, and are in fourth place on goal difference, while Boys’ Town have lost all three games and are in 11th place in the 12-team league, conceding six goals.

Dillon Thelwell, the MBU assistant coach, was not pleased with the team’s execution however, telling the

Jamaica Observer that they did not execute what they worked on in training.

“We are happy for our first home win,” he said, “but the team never played well, we did not possess the ball, keep it, and pass it around like we used to do; play to our systems and style of play that’s where we went wrong today”.

While he said the team played well in defence, with Kemar Drake doing a good job of limiting Nicholson, Thelwell said the transition from the midfield to the forwards was a cause for concern. “We have some work to do before the next game (against Reno FC next Sunday).”

Boys’ Town’s Coach, Andrew Price, said his “young” team would have to correct their mistakes through working hard. “They are young, and they are going to have to learn from their mistakes,” he said. “Sloppy defending gave up two goals. We fought courageously to get the equaliser, then when we were to keep shape and be composed, we did not do that and gifted MoBay the go-ahead goal.”

Price said: “We are going to have to correct the mistakes as we go along, it’s a steep learning curve for them and we are going to have to continue to work for the remainder of the season.”

There is no time to panic, Price said. “There is time, it’s 33 games, and only three gone, so we have 30 more to play. We are going to have to dig deep. These youngsters are coming out of KSAFA Under-20 as champions, they are going to have to learn, and on the field,” he said, pointing out that “each week their performance has improved, and I hope we get it right next week and we will continue to work and fight hard”.

MBU, who beat Boys’ Town in all three games last season by an 8-0 aggregate, got off to a fast start with Ottey on the left wing pushing the Kingston team back into their own half.

The breakthrough came early after Ottey flashed past a flat-footed Xavian Virgo and Ricardo Dennis and squared the ball to the six-yard area, where Williams got to it with a low header into the lower left corner before Boys’ Town goalkeeper Kirk Porter was able to make the stop.

It should have been 2-0 in the 30th minute when the same two MBU players combined to shred the Boys’ Town defence, but this time Williams failed to control the ball with his first touch and allowed Porter to snatch it at a second attempt.

Boys’ Town had their first real chance at goal in the 45th minute when a shot from the right side flew across the MBU goal, missing the far post by inches.

It was the visitors who had the better start to the second half as they made several raids into the MBU area with a series of short passes, but found the back line hard to beat.

Ottey had a chance in the 61st minute to add to his team’s slim lead when he was sent through, down the middle of the Boys’ Town area, but an alert Porter blocked the shot on the edge of the 18-yard box.

Williams just lifted the rebound inches over the bar as MBU had a second chance from the play.

Boys’ Town were eventually rewarded for their hard fight in the 73rd minute when MBU’s goalkeeper David Swaby missed a cross from the right side and the ball fell nicely to Nicholson, who tapped it across the line.

Parity lasted all of three minutes as Ottey made up for his earlier misses as he dribbled right through the middle of the Boys’ Town defence, and with Porter at his mercy, tucked the ball away to the custodian’s left and into the far corner of the goal.

MBU were almost gifted a third goal in the 82nd minute when Williams stole the ball from a weary Boys’ Town defender, but his delicate chip was just wide of the far right post.

Boys’ Town could have earned a point late in regulation time, but Swaby quickly got down to block a low drive and his defence then cleared it out of danger.

Teams: Montego Bay United — David Swaby, Ladale Richie, Jason Watson, Cory Hylton (Johann Weatherly 79th), Allan Ottey, Kemar Drake, Nicholas Stewart (Fabian McCarthy 46th), Jermaine Woozencroft (Ronaldo Rodney 46th), Dwayne Ambusley, Donovan Carey, Dino Williams

Subs not used: Romaine Bowers, Ramone Sibley, Kashief Brown, Otis Friend

Booked: Hylton (8th), Richie (90th)

Boys’ Town — Kirk Porter, Rupert Murray, Ricardo Dennis, Kevon Wilson (Michael Blygen 46th), Tkevin Garnett, Kimarley Fray, Giovanne Palmer, Andrew Allen, Xavian Virgo, Shamar Nicholson, Shavon Richards (Jahvon Howell 67th)

Subs not used: Anthony Dawes

Booked: Dennis (2nd), Garnett (55th), Fray (90th)

Referee: Daneon Parchment

Assistant Referees: Nicholas Anderson, Jeron Porteous

Fourth Official: Swason Owen

Match Commissary: Lorraine Scringer