TUCKER, St James — Montego Bay United (MBU) salvaged their place in next season’s Jamaica Premier League (JPL) with three games remaining in the campaign, after beating fellow St James-based club Faulkland FC 2-1 at Wespow Park on Sunday

The result snapped a 12-game winless run for Montego Bay.

Goals in the first seven minutes from Courtney Allen and Allan Ottey set the platform for MBU’s fifth win of the season and their first since January 15. That encounter was also against Faulkland FC in what was the first St James-based Premier League derby in 17 years.

It is a different story for Faulkland FC, however, and the writing is on the wall that they could be joining fellow promoted club Chapelton Maroons back in the Jamaica Football Federation Tier II competition next season. Faulkland are in 13th place on 11 points, eight points from safety with three games to go.

It was also the first win for Brazilian Head Coach Neider dos Santos in five Premier League games.

“We knew, mathematically, to stay in the Premier League we needed one point, but we got three,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“We started very well the first half; we did a very good first half with early goals, which was our plan,” he said.

“In the second half we drifted a little bit apart. We have…it’s not excuses, but we have big problems [with] injuries. We have three starters that are out.”

Getting the win, dos Santos said, made up for everything.

“But at least we got that victory, which took long because — even before I arrived — the team had not been winning. I didn’t like the performance [in] the second half but I appreciate the first half and now I feel the team is improving.”

With their place secured the coach said they now had the freedom to offer playing time to some young players.

“Now we can be more confident because we don’t have the ghost of the relegation. And we can maybe try some youngsters now because that’s the way to go — youngsters.”

Gregory Palmer, the Faulkland FC coach, admitted that the result left them in an unenviable situation.

“It’s very tough. We have to depend on other teams now if we are to avoid being relegated. I don’t like to be depending on others; I like to do my work myself, but it’s hard,” he said.

Defending, he said, has been their biggest issue all season.

“We’re not defending properly, and I’ve been trying to work on the defensive line, you know, work on it. One of the main defenders is out on cards today — Kyle Anderson — and that ruffled the feathers.”

Allen fired MBU into the lead in the second minute when he beat goalkeeper David Swaby from close range after a good build-up.

It was 2-0 five minutes later when Ottey got the better of the advancing Swaby and a defender to fire into an empty goal from about eight yards for his eighth goal of the season.

Faulkland rallied in the second half and could have scored in the 55th minute but MBU goalkeeper Davonnie Burton blocked a shot from about three yards out.

They finally pulled a goal back in the 74th minute when the MBU defence failed to get a ball out of their area and substitute Tavane Kerr poked the ball across the goal line.