Fresh from one of their heaviest losses, former champions Montego Bay United (MBU) will take on fellow strugglers Tivoli Gardens in the fifth round of matches in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) on Monday afternoon at the Stadium East complex in Kingston.

MBU were beaten 4-0 on Sunday by joint leaders Mt Pleasant Football Academy at the UWI/Jamaica Football Federation/Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence in Kingston. The results pushed them down to ninth place in the tables on three points.

It was one of the heaviest losses for the former winners who were coming off the high of their first win since they returned to the league.

In the 2018-19 season when they were relegated, MBU were twice beaten by 5-1 scorelines, by Portmore United and Cavalier. During the 2017-18 session, MBU were beaten 5-1 by Portmore United and 4-0 by Humble Lion. Then in the 2015-16 season, they lost 4-2 to Rivoli United.

MBU will hope to rebound immediately with a second win as they take on a Tivoli Gardens team that is one of three clubs yet to earn a win and are on two points after their game against Vere United on Saturday was postponed.

While Tivoli Gardens have struggled to score, with only four strikes in three games, they have been tight in defence, allowing only five goals and could give the young MBU strikers some work.

Ladrick Haughton, who is yet to start any of the two games he has appeared in, has two goals, both coming against Molynes United, and MBU’s Coach Ricky Hill will be hoping he can get more production from the likes of Alrick Ottey and Ewan Barton who have been trusted to lead the attack.

Ottey, who was subbed off after just a few minutes in the win over Molynes, was missing on Sunday as the team failed to inspire.

Mt Pleasant FA scored all four goals in a 30-minute span in the first half on Sunday with Daniel Green, Sue-Lae McCalla, Donovan Segree, and Cleon Pryce getting on the scoresheet.

Green looped a ball from the left wing over the head of the MBU goalkeeper Darrien Tummings into the far corner of the goal to give Mt Pleasant the lead after 11 minutes.

McCalla made it 2-0 in the 22nd minute after he overlapped from his defensive position, got into the 18-yard box and flicked the ball with the outside of his right boot past Tummings.

It was 3-0 in the 35th minute when Segree beat Tummings at his near right post with a vicious left-foot shot and Pryce tapped in from close range in the 42nd minute to make it 4-0.

MBU got chances to pull back at least two goals in the second half but their efforts were off target.