After contrasting starts to the season, Cavalier FC and defending champions Portmore United are heading in opposite directions in the Red Stripe Premier League.

This after Portmore got the better of Cavalier 2-0 at Stadium East Field on Sunday.

Cavalier started the season with back-to-back victories to sit atop the table on points with Tivoli Gardens FC and the newly promoted Mount Pleasant FA, but since then they have lost two in a row which has seen them slide down the table to eighth place on six points. Meanwhile, the champions have registered two wins and a draw in their last three games to go third place on seven points, after losing their opening day encounter 1-2.

There is no need for alarm bells at Cavalier at this point, however, as it is a tightly bunched table at the moment with only a single point separating the team in second from the team in eighth place.

Yet still, Cavalier coach Rudolph Speid was left cursing his luck on Sunday as he watched his opponents score the same opportunities that his charges failed at during the course of the 90 minutes.

He spoke to that specifically after the game as he bemoaned the profligacy of his charges in front of goal for a second week running.

“The irony of the game today is that Portmore scored exactly the two opportunities that we got in the first half before they had scored. We got a penalty and also a one-on-one in which we hit the post, and they scored; and also the penalty which we missed but they scored — so it’s one of those games,” he said.

Despite trailing to a first-half penalty from the returning Javon East, Cavalier were always in the game until they were caught cold late on as substitute Hardley Barnes scored on the counter in the 81st minute to make it 2-0.

“After we made the substitutions we really just played the game in Portmore half. We hit the post, we got some real good looks, then that sucker punch goal against the run of play just did us in,” Speid reasoned.

But the cure for the early season malaise is simple according to the Cavalier head coach.

“We need to get back to scoring goals. We are doing everything else well except scoring goals, and at the back we could have done a little better.”

Despite the loss, Speid is sure his team will respond in a positive manner soon.

“I am not disheartened. The team that started, there are only two players at the age of 24, everybody else was under the age of 22, so I am not disheartened. I am just going to come back again, go back to work, and see if we can work out the difficulties that we have.”

The coach in the opposite dugout, Shavar Thomas was smiling from ear to ear after claiming all three points, especially after witnessing his team spurn numerous chances at home just the week before.

“Getting back-to-back clean sheets is most important to us. Early on in the game we lapsed in the back and they got a couple of chances, nevertheless we recovered and we were in control of the game for the most part,” he reasoned.

Just like he had done in the final last season where he helped his team lift the title, goalkeeper and captain Kemar Foster came up with another brilliant save to deny Chevone Marsh from the penalty spot and keep Portmore in the game. This would prove to be one of the key moments in the game for both teams.

“Everyone of our players is special, especially Foster, because you have seen him in action. But as you can see young Hardley Barnes came in late in the game and made an impact, so that tells you what we are building here at Portmore United. Everyone is working hard and waiting for their opportunity to grab it.”

He also welcomed the return of last season’s leading scorer for the club, Javon East.

“We need goals and we were missing goals. With East on the field we get a lot of opportunities because he knows how to move off the ball.”

Thomas is looking to go on a run to bolster his position in the top half of the table and keep pace with the early leaders as well.

“We are looking forward to three points in our next fixture. As I said to the guys earlier today, we needed these three points today because we don’t want to be chasing this early in the season. So it was most important that we stay with the people above us and separate ourselves from the people who are behind us.”

Portmore will host FC Reno on Sunday while Cavalier will travel to Waterhouse FC next Monday night.