RACING United and Chapleton Maroons have taken leads after Sunday’s first-leg games in their Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Championships semi-finals over Reno FC and Tru-Juice FC, respectively.

Racing United, who topped the regular season points tables, beat former Premier League champions Reno FC 2-0 at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex while Chapleton Maroons were 2-1 winners over Tru-Juice FC at Bramwell Clarke Sports Complex in Linstead.

The winners of the two-way semi-finals on aggregate will earn promotion to the Jamaica Premier League for the 2024-25 season, replacing Treasure Beach FC and Lime Hall Academy.

Racing United, who also topped the regular season points tables the previous season, only to be upset in the semi-finals, were gifted the opening goal when Reno FC conceded an own goal in the 14th minute.

Deandre Johnson added a second goal in the 63rd minute — his seventh goal of the season — as the Clarendon team took a good lead going into this weekend’s return leg.

It was another own goal at Bramwell Clarke Complex which gave Chapleton the lead in the 48th minute, before Shamar Martin equalised in the 88th minute for Tru-Juice FC with his second goal of the season.

Neshawn Bennett, however, scored the winner in the 90th minute to give Chapleton Maroons the lead going back home for the second leg.

Chapleton Maroons spent one season in the Premier League in 2022-23 — when they lost to Faulkland FC of St James in the final of the first JFF Tier II competition — but both teams were relegated at the end of the season.