TUCKER, St James — A maiden Red Stripe Premier League goal in time added at the end of the game, gave defending champions and leaders Montego Bay United a 1-0 win over promoted Maverley-Hughenden in a second round game at WesPow Park and extended their winning streak to six games.

Johann Weatherly, the former Philadelphia Union Academy member, who replaced Jermaine Woozencroft at the start of the second half, buried a shot from close range after the Maverley-Hughenden defence had failed to clear it out of danger and saved his team some blushes.

Montego Bay United finished the game with 10 players after Fabion McCarthy was red-carded in the 58th minute after he grabbed the legs of a player while lying on the round. That player was heading to goal just on the edge of the penalty area.

Despite playing most of the second half short-handed, Montego Bay United avenged an opening day 1-2 loss to Maverley-Hughenden and assistant coach Dillon Thelwell admitted his team “failed to play at the level we are used to”.

Thelwell told the

Jamaica Observer. “I think we came into the game flat as we underestimated them, to be honest, but we are happy for the win, an ugly win is better than a pretty loss.”

Maverley-Hughenden’s coach Lijyasu Simms was not pleased with the outcome and told the

Observer. “When you get chances and don’t take them and when the other team take their chances this is what happens.”

The breakdown, he said, came when his defence got the chance to clear the ball away and did not “and it cost us”.

Montego Bay United improved to 31 points at the top of the table, while Maverley-Hughenden stayed in 10th spot, just one point out of the drop zone.

A double save by Maverley’s goalkeeper Nicholas Campbell in the 10th minute kept MBU off the score sheet as the custodian blocked a header from point blank range then recovered in a split second to save the rebound also from close range.

Campbell’s agility and quick reflexes saved Maverley and captain Andrew Peddlar a lot of embarrassment when the defender inexplicably aimed a curling kick to the top left corner of his own goal in the 29th minute, but the goalkeeper luckily tipped it for a corner.

MBU had two good scoring chances late in the half, both from good left footed shots — Zvezden Dordilovic’s effort that stayed about six inches off the ground was just wide of the left post in the 38th minute, while Donovan Carey’s chance three minutes later was even closer.

MBU’s goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett was called on in the 56th minute to make his first save when he went low to his right to block a header from Andrew Whyte for a corner.

Maverley-Hughenden should have done better two minutes later as after McCarthy was expelled the resulting free kick was drilled into the wall and blocked for a corner.

Weatherly made his first impact in the 61st minute when he ran past two defenders down the left flank but his cross was misplayed by Ronaldo Rodney.

Later in the game in the 84th minute, the diminutive winger again got the better of the tired Maverley defence but his cross was headed wide by Dino Williams.

Three minutes into the four added on, two MBU players failed to get a loose ball in to six-yard box past a sea of legs and the ball fell nicely to Weatherly to stroke it into the goal.