Humble Lions hold Montego Bay in JPL
TUCKER, St James — A resurgent Montego Bay United (MBU) were held 1-1 by Humble Lions in their return-round Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at Wespow Park on Sunday.
Fabian Forbes came off the bench to give the hosts the lead in the 71st minute, but they gave up a late equaliser while extending their unbeaten streak to three games, their best run of the season.
Lorenzo Lewin pulled Humble Lions level in minute 85.
MBU remain bottom of the points table on 10 points, while Humble Lions, who are also unbeaten in three games, are in eighth place on 22 points.
Both coaches, Leacroft Lettman of MBU and Andrew Price of Humble Lions, were disappointed with the draw.
“It’s two points lost,” said Lettman.
“We lost concentration due to a stoppage in play and it caught us in the defensive part of the game.”
His team is on an upward trajectory, he told the Jamaica Observer.
“As we build momentum, the discipline in the game is getting better and its important that we maintain this and play some football.”
Lettman said they took the opportunity to play some of the younger players, and added that teenager Forbes “went on at the right time”.
Price said the draw was a “lost opportunity” for Humble Lions.
“Two points lost; we got the opportunities. This was a game we targeted to get three points and we got the opportunities, but we just did not convert and that has been the story of our entire season.
“We have not been clinical in front of goal and when you look at some of the chances we got we should have put away the game a long time before.”
However, Price said it was not all bad.
“We had to fight, we showed some character in coming back to equalise late and in added time we had some good opportunities at goal, but we just did not make use of them,” he explained.
Humble Lions got off to the better start and it took a hobbling MBU goalkeeper Davonnie Burton pulling off some good saves to keep them off the score sheet.
Burton was equal to a ball swung across the area in the 12th minute, punching the ball out and in the 27th minute he pushed a shot from Leonardo Jibbison over the cross bar for a corner.
Later in the first half he came off his line to the edge of the six yards box to block Kemar Mullings, who just stayed onside and had a free run at the goal.
Burton was at it again early in the second half when he blocked a shot from Rayland Paisley, who got by two defenders and had a clear shot at goal.
Forbes, who had replaced the veteran Dwayne Ambusley in the 58th minute, finished off a good move from Montego Bay, sweeping home the ball from about eight yards from a right side cross in the 71st minute.
Ironically, it was the impressive Burton who was at fault when he was slow to react to a ball crossed from the right, leaving Lewin in perfect position to head home over the goalkeeper.