MONTEGO BAY, St James — Wadadah FC snapped a 19-game winless run in the Jamaica Football Federation Premier League Play-offs with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over 10-man Baptiste Alliance at Jarrett Park on Saturday.

Despite a much improved showing from Wadadah FC who are in the play-offs for the third time in four years, the game saw two own goals and the winner from a saved penalty kick, all in the first half.

Baptiste Alliance took the lead in the 22nd minute through a spectacular own goal from Oshane Hunter, but the home team equalised through an own goal of their own in the 37th minute.

Hunter redeemed himself when he scored the rebound after his 43rd-minute penalty was saved by Baptiste Alliance’s goalkeeper Andre Brown.

The St Thomas team was reduced to 10 men in the 41st minute when Jason Blake was sent off after he deliberately used his hands to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.

The win was a big relief to the Wadadah FC players and fans after they had lost all their games in their previous three trips to the Premier League Play-offs, and drawing their opening game this season against Vere United at Jarrett Park last Wednesday.

Daniel Ricketts, the Wadadah FC coach, said going back to their original formation and finding what appears to be a “settled starting 11” led to their long-overdue win.

“We had changed our system to a 5-4-1 in the last few games, but went back to the 5-3-2 that we had started the season with, as it appears some of the players did not understand the first system and it worked for us today,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

There were some concerns when they went behind, he admitted, but said the players “dug deep and came up with the win and that is all that matters”.

Injuries after a long season, Ricketts added, led to chopping and changing of the starting team, but the team he started on Saturday looks like the one he wants to use for the other four games in the play-offs.

Vincent Barnes, the Baptiste Alliance coach, said inexperience at this level has cost them. “We were sticking to the game plan at the start but we then lapsed in concentration, gave up the tying goal, tried to pick it up back but the game got away from us.”

Barnes said the players were getting used to the pace of the game at this level. “It’s not easy up here but we are glad for the experience and learning as we go along.”

Baptiste Alliance, who had drawn their opening game against Lime Hall FC on Wednesday, got off to a good start, pushing back a tentative-looking Wadadah FC and were rewarded when Hunter looped a spectacular header over the head of his own goalkeeper Tristan Bernard and into the goal in the 22nd minute.

Wadadah FC were stung and responded with a series of attacks, and came close when Kemiro James fired just wide of the Baptiste Alliance goal, after Devarowe McKenzie had found him with a pass from the middle of the Baptiste Alliance half.

Wadadah FC got back on level terms when a cross from the right hand pin-balled off two defenders and beat goalkeeper Andre Brown in the goal.

The St James club then took the lead after a series of errors that led to the red card and penalty being awarded.

James had a clear run down the middle at the Baptiste Alliance goal but Brown did well to partially parry the shot on to his right post and two of his defenders, in trying to prevent the ball from going over the goal line, handled it and Blake was sent off.

Brown did well again to save Hunter’s initial shot but the Wadadah FC defender reacted quickly to punch the rebound back into the goal.

Wadadah FC could have added a third goal late in the game but substitute Kamini Pennington’s shot from close range was spectacularly saved by Brown, going full stretch to his left to parry the ball for a corner.