TUCKER, St James — It has been a steep learning curve for promoted Faulkland FC in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) as they crashed to back-to-back losses, going down 2-0 to Dunbeholden FC in their first-round game at Wespow Park in St James on Sunday.

The latest loss came a week after they gave up a first-half lead and lost 2-1 at Drax Hall to Mt Pleasant FA, but Coach Gregory Palmer said giving the losing finalists from last season’s JPL too much respect at the start might have been their downfall.

Faulkland FC were on the back foot from the start and were behind after eight minutes when Stephen Barnett scored from close range, and despite a better second half ,were caught on the counter and punished by a goal in time added by Shakeem Powell.

“I think we started tentatively; we gave them too much respect and it cost us in the first half,” Palmer told the Jamaica Observer.

“In the second half we are down and we had to force it, we hit the bar and overall had a better second half.”

Palmer admitted his team threw caution to the wind in chasing the game which was why they conceded the second goal.

“We had to gamble, whether we lost 1-0 or 2-0 did not matter, we gambled with three strikers and we got caught on the counter,” he said.

Jermaine Thomas, the Dunbeholden coach, welcomed his team’s first win of the season.

“It’s always good to win… the guys started on the front foot and created several opportunities in the first 30 minutes, we only converted one but guess what, this is the second game and we are going back to training and working on the weaknesses.”

Despite playing in front of home support, Faulkland took a while to settle, and in doing so, allowed the visitors to take the initiative and they capitalised in the eighth minute after the Faulkland FC goalkeeper Robert Morrison was forced to make at least three saves.

The Faulkland FC defence failed to get the ball away and Barnett thumped it home from just inside the six yards box.

Two minutes later, Christie cleared a ball off the goal line after Morrison was beaten at his right post and five minutes later the goalkeeper had to scramble to keep out another shot again from close range.

The home team looked better in the second half and had some scoring chances, the best coming in the 89th minute when Husanna Johnson hit the top of the right post.

Dunbeholden FC added to their lead five minute into time added on when Morrison knocked down a shot from Dean Andre Thomas but it bounced to Powell who fired it back into the goal.

Faulkland FC-……….0

Dunbeholden FC……2

Barnett (8th), Powell (90+5)

Teams

Faulkland FC —

Robert Morrison, Michael McLeod, Husana Johnson, Sajay Anderson (Obrien Robinson-68th), Kymani Reid (Enrique Gordon-93rd), Kyle Anderson, Rodcliff Dawkins, Val Armstrong (Tavane Kerr-68th), Tyshan Hill (Rainnar Barnes-68th), Reno Edmonson (Shanoy Anderson-36th), Prince Christie

Subs not used: Tereto Gregory, Jelani Nicholson, Ronaldo Allen

Booked: Johnson-45+2

Dunbeholden FC — Damian Hyatt, Nickoy Christian (Romaine Bowers-94th), Fabian McCarthy, Romario McPherson, Chevoy Watkin, Ricardo Thomas (Sadeki Burton-85th), Clayton Pusey, Shakeem Powell, Cardel Benbow (Dwayne Smith-86th), Stephen Barnett, Dean Andre Thomas

Subs not used: Odane Samuels, Patrick Brown, Zackry Wilks, Andre Dyce

Booked: McPherson (82nd, Pusey (90th)

Referee: Andre Farquharson

Assistants: Joshua Jackson, Kemar Gayle

Fourth Official: Andre Hayden

Match Commissary: Gavin McNeil