Champions Portmore United maintained their stay atop the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) standings as they came from behind to secure a 1-1 scoreline against the University of the West Indies (UWI) FC in a keenly contested fixture at Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.

National representative Fabion McCarthy fired UWI FC in front in the 18th minute, but the in-form Rondee Smith pulled Portmore United level in the 34th minute to ensure a share of the spoils.

With the point, Portmore United inched up to 14 points, one ahead of Tivoli Gardens, who assumed second position on 13 points by virtue of a better goal difference following their 1-1 scoreline with Harbour View. UWI FC remain in fifth position in the 12-team standings on 11 points.

Despite the point, Portmore Head Coach Shavar Thomas was not entirely pleased.

“I am a bit disappointed because it seems like we should be playing on the road all the time, because we want to establish a home-court dominance where teams come in and know that it is going to be a hard game. Today was not the case and we have to remedy that,” he told the Jamaica Observer in a post-game interview.

His counterpart Andrew Peart was much more welcoming of the point, as his team was rebounding from a loss.

“At the end of the day we have to be happy with a point because we were tired and we had to make two first-half changes due to injuries and we couldn’t find that spark we needed to win the game,” he reasoned.

Meanwhile, the much talked-about Mount Pleasant Academy were relegated to third position on 13 points after they were stunned by a late goal from Levaughn Williams (90th+3) which gave Humble Lion their first win of the campaign. The Clarendon-based team has now jumped into 10th position on six points, while Harbour View (five points) are now the cellar dwellers.

From the day’s other early contest, fourth-placed Cavalier inched up to 11 points and newcomers Dunbeholden inched up to seven after both teams played out a 1-1 stalemate.

At Prison Oval, it was a tale of two halves as UWI FC came out more purposeful and broke the deadlock when McCarthy, sporting the number eight jersey, converted.

But Portmore United found their footing and were back on level terms through the prolific Smith, who notched his fourth in what has been a blistering start to his season.

With UWI FC finishing the stronger in the latter stages of the first half, which ended at 1-1, the momentum shifted in favour of Portmore United, who dictated terms on the resumption.

However, the reigning champions failed to make the most of their dominance in possession as they created a few good openings, but a lack of conviction in the final third and good glove work by Amal Knight denied them the go-ahead goal.

In the 66th minute, Knight, diving to his left side, did well to block a firm right-footer from Venton Evans, and he repeated the feat in the 75th minute, that time stopping Captain Ricardo Morris’s stinging left-footed drive.

Prior to that in the 72nd minute, Morris played in a weighted cross from the left side and Chavany Willis rose above the defence but headed straight into Knight’s glove.

Portmore’s best chance of the half came when a cross from Roberto Johnson found Smith wide open in the box, but a poor first touch denied the latter his second of the game.

Teams: Portmore United — Kemar Foster, Ryan Wellington, Osani Ricketts, Roberto Johnson, Chavany Willis, Venton Evans (Rosario Harriott 82nd), Donnegy Fer (Damian Williams 58th), Ricardo Morris, Romaine Brackenridge, Roshane Sharpe (Javon East 72nd), Rondee Smith

Subs not used: Benjamin Williams, Damano Solomon, Cleon Pryce, Courtney Allen

Booked: Wellington (90th)

UWI FC — Amal Knight, Taniel McKenzie, Dravian Williams, Javoy Belnavis, Kemar Flemmings, Rochane Smith (Michael Heaven 79th), Ryan Miller, Fabion McCarthy, Trey Bennett (Jerondy Henry 30th), Davian Garrison (Anthony Greenland 16th), Kemoy Atkinson

Subs not used: George Brown, Andrae Bernal, Patrick Brown, Deno Schaffe

Booked: none

Referee: Leon Brown

Assistant referees: Nicholas Anderson, Rolanzo Bennett

Fourth official: Andre Farquharson

Match commissary: Marvin Walters