CATHERINE HALL, St James — After grinding out a second-consecutive tense 1-0 victory, this time over Arnett Gardens at Montego Bay Sports Complex on Monday evening, Montego Bay United’s (MBU) Head Coach Rodolfo Zapata was pleased with his team’s performance.

MBU mounted a stubborn defensive display in the second half after Owayne Gordon scored in the first, hours before his 33rd birthday, on his return to the team after an injury layoff.

MBU’s first win over Arnett Gardens since the 2022-23 season saw them stay in second place in the tables on nine points from four games played while the South St Andrew-based club are in seventh place on four points from three games.

“I know that all the games are going to be difficult,” Zapata told the Jamaica Observer. “The Jamaica Premier League is tough… over here, the bottom teams can beat the top six [but], most importantly, we are working and my boys respond to my coaching.”

He described the game as “very tactical” and said he expected Arnett to come out running hard in the second half.

“We knew that they’re going to come out desperate to try to draw the game but the whole defence did a great job, and we even had a couple chances on the counter, so I think it was a very exciting game to watch and very interesting in a tactical aspect.”

Xavier Gilbert, the Arnett Gardens head coach, said his team was not up to the standard it should be.

“We made some poor decisions tonight — and I think that cost us the game — but we have to give credit to Montego Bay, they scored and they defended well,” Gilbert said. “They hit us on the counter, made use of some openings that we were vulnerable to, and we have to give credit to them for that.”

Gilbert refused to make any excuses and said he was not sure if playing a Concacaf game in midweek, against Cavalier, affected them.

“I don’t know, to be honest, but I doubt it. But, we just have to go back to the drawing board and continue to work hard and make sure that we get the desired results that we want.”

Arnett started well and pushed MBU back into their own area, but the home team eventually wrestled the game from the visitors and, led by Gordon and Demario Phillips, took the game to Arnett Gardens.

They reaped success in the 40th minute when Gordon was sent down the left flank, ran away from two defenders, and after getting around the advancing Asher Hutchinson in the Arnett Gardens goal, easily slotted home.

MBU’s midfielder Lucas Lima missed with a header early in the second half as the ball missed the far right post by inches.

Later in the game the Brazilian dribbled all the way from his own half on the left wing, cut inside, then wasted an easy chance to put the game out of reach of Arnett Gardens.