CATHERINE HALL, St James — With the scores tied at 1-1 at half-time, Montego Bay United (MBU) central defender Josiah Trimmingham called his teammates together on the field for an animated and mostly one-side chat and on his way to the locker room he also stopped to address a set of ball kids.

His pep talk seemed to work as he grabbed the winner in the come-from-behind 2-1 win for the hosts against Dunbeholden FC in the Jamaica Premier League match at Montego Bay Sports Complex. The result preserved Montego Bay’s top-two place in the league table, while ending Dunbeholden’s three-game winning run.

MBU, who had drawn their two previous games, extended their unbeaten run to six games. They are on 17 points from eight games, two behind leaders Portmore United who have played a game more. Dunbeholden are in eighth place on nine points from eight outings.

Rojay Smith had given Dunbeholden FC the lead after 14 minutes, but the home team drew level just before the half-time break when Owayne Gordon converted from the penalty spot. Trimmingham, the Trinidad and Tobago international, headed home the winner in the 54th minute.

Trimmingham told the Jamaica Observer that his message to his teammates was for them to “be a little more mannish”. He explained that it was a way of saying “be strong, be more demanding on the ball and be more responsible.”

“Once we have the 11 players on the field, including the subs, the ball boys and the supporters, once we have everybody working together, cheering each other on, moving as a synchronised unit, we’ll get the three points,” he said was his message to the ball kids.

Coming up with the winning goal, he said, was just the icing on the cake. “It’s my first goal, in my second season, so you know, it’s really nice to finally put one on the scoreboard.”

Rodolfo Zapata, the Montego Bay head coach, said the players responded to his half-time talk.

“In the locker room, I told my boys, we are playing good, are in the right way, if we keep playing like that, I know that the goal is coming anytime, and it came. Then at the end we had to change the system, put in new strategies but the most important is how the players responded.”

Zapata said it was “unfair” that his team was not in the lead at half-time. “We had five clear chances, maybe six,” he added even while crediting Dunbeholden FC’s resolute resistance.

Byjeon Thomas, the Dunbeholden coach, was disappointed with the result. “It’s a tough loss, I think we did enough to get a draw, but that’s how football goes some times,” he said.

“We had some chances tonight and it could have been different, but we just have to continue working hard, there are a lot more games to come and we just have to keep working.”

After losing their first four games, Dunbeholden FC hit a purple patch, winning three games in a row.

Their intention to extend that winning run was underlined when Smith punished Montego Bay with a close-range strike.

MBU responded with a barrage of chances, pushing Dunbeholden back in their own area but misses by Brian Brown and Shaniel Thomas in addition to good saves by goalkeeper Romaine Hamilton frustrated the players and the home fans.

Montego Bay got a break in first-half stoppage time when Thomas was brought down in the six-yard box. Gordon levelled the scores from the penalty spot.

Only nine minutes into the second half, Trimmingham got his head to a corner swung in from the right side to push his team ahead.

The home team had a number of other good chances to add to the lead but Hamilton prevented any further goals.

Josiah Trimmingham of Montego Bay United salutes the fans after scoring during the Jamaica Premier League match against Dunbeholden FC at Montego Bay Sports Complex on Sunday. (Photos: Paul Reid)