Faulkland FC of St James are the first semi-finalists in the Jamaica Football Federation National Tier Two competition after beating Downs YC 2-0 at the Downs Community Centre on Saturday.

Two late goals from Ronaldo McLeish gave Faulkland FC their seventh win of the season as they improved to 23 points. They can finish no lower than second place at the end of the regular season.

Faulkland FC’s lead stretched to three points after former leaders Chapleton Maroons were ambushed 0-1 by Tru Juice at Prison Oval.

Falmouth United won their fourth-straight game, blanking Treasure Beach FC 2-0 to swap places with the St Elizabeth-based team. They are in third place, ahead of Treasure Beach on goal difference.

At Downs, the home team appeared set to hold Faulkland FC to a draw before McLeish scored two goals in an eight-minute span late in the second half to settle the outcome.

McLeish scored in the 78th minute, then added a second in the 86th as they improved their season’s tally to 29 goals, two more than Falmouth United. Chapleton have scored 20 goals.

Marcelino Blackburn’s 85th-minute goal gave Tru Juice FC a vital win over previously unbeaten Chapleton. The victory kept the St Catherine-based team in the race for a semi-final place.

A draw would have been good enough for Chapleton Maroons to join Faulkland FC in the semi-finals.

Despite failing to match six-goal efforts in each of their previous three games, Falmouth United did enough to get an additional three points. It came at the expense of Treasure Beach who played the last 10 minutes of the game with 10 players after Jordan Nembhard was sent off after dragging back Falmouth United’s Dontae Green and denying a goal-scoring opportunity.

Cordell Simpson’s deflected free kick in the ninth minute had given Falmouth United the lead, while the veteran Leon Irving added a second in the 59th, his fifth of the season.

Baptist Alliance are two points off a semi-final place on 14 points after a 2-0 win over Wadada United at Irwin High in St James. Daminan Anderson scored the lead goal in the 40th minute, while Rohan Brown added a second in the 52nd.

Hopewell United rallied for a 1-1 draw against Portlanders FC at Orchard Sports Grounds, Kemar Miller scored the opening goal for Hopewell in the 17th minute, but Briekie Wellington equalised in the 62nd minute.

Lime Hall Academy beat Albion Mountain 2-1 with goals from Okeeve Hinds in the eighth minute and Rohan Sewell in the 56th minute. Orville Mignott got Albion Mountain’s goal in the 18th minute.

— Paul A Reid