Humble Lions FC recorded consecutive wins for only the first time this season when they clipped former champions Portmore United 1-0 in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Sunday.

A 38th-minute strike from Afiba Chambers was enough to secure the win for Humble Lions, who have now recorded their third win of the season, while they condemned Portmore to back-to-back losses.

The win saw Humble Lions leapfrog Portmore and move up to eighth position with 19 points. Portmore remain on 18.

The game took a while to spark as both teams started flat and it took all of 20 minutes for the first real opening to be created in the match when Javain Thompson played in Kemar Mullings whose first touch let him down, and the opportunity was lost.

Portmore responded when Keny Charleston, who was a real live wire up front for his team, played in Alvinus Myers, but hesitation on the part of the captain allowed Dennis Taylor to set himself and save well.

Kemar Mullings was the goal-scoring hero for Humble Lions last weekend and he had a hand in the goal that won the game this week, as it was his fierce drive that was parried by Benjamin Williams into the path of Chambers who made no mistake in steering the ball home from inside the area in the 38th minute.

Myers should have drawn Portmore level shortly after, but his mistimed header from a cross from the right saw the ball bounce into the turf and loop harmlessly into the arms of Taylor.

On the stroke of half-time, Thompson had a chance to double the Humble Lions lead when he skipped past his marker and got inside the box, but he shot straight at Williams.

Shortly after the restart Colin Wedderburn showed great enterprise on an overlapping run, driving through the midfield before firing a shot that had Taylor scrambling to his right, but the ball went just wide of the left upright.

Charleston should have levelled midway through the second half when he was on the end of a right-sided cross from substitute Jevick McFarlane, but somehow missed the target with his header from five yards out.

Earon Elliott, who started the day at centre forward, was brought into midfield after some changes and was effective for Portmore. He was unlucky not to score after the ball was deflected into his path and he fired on target, but with not enough time to pick a spot the ball went directly at Taylor who again showed a safe pair of hands.

With five minutes to go, Andre Clennon, who had played the perfect number ten role for Humble Lions, should have killed off the game, but watched as his shot from the edge of the area went agonisingly wide of the far post.

Portmore were reduced to 10 men in the third minute of added time when Seigle Knight saw red for a foul on Ryland Paisley after a breakaway by the Humble Lions substitute who was bearing down on goal. Referee Odette Hamilton had no choice but to give the Portmore United player his marching orders.

The three points will now strengthen the hopes of Humble Lions who still harbour thoughts of making the top six play-offs with six games remaining in the regular season.