ST JAMES, Jamaica — Leaders Montego Bay United increased their advantage to seven points after beating Chapelton Maroons 2-0 in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) football match at Jarrett Park on Sunday.

The win, Montego Bay’s second against Chapelton Maroons this season, saw them improve their unbeaten record against the Clarendon-based outfit, much to the delight of Head Coach Xavier Gilbert.

Goals in either half from Nashordo Gibbs and Jourdain Fletcher carried Montego Bay to two wins on the trot and pushed their unbeaten run to five games.

They have 42 points, a bit of daylight between them and second-placed Racing United (35 points), who played out a 1-1 result with third-placed Portmore United, also on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Waterhouse FC defeated last season’s finalists Mount Pleasant FA 1-0 at Drax Hall, while Dunbeholden FC spanked Harbour View 4-2. The clashes between Treasure Beach FC and former national champions Arnett Gardens FC, and Molynes United and Spanish Town Police both ended 1-1.

Gilbert said he pleased with Montego Bay’s display.

“We were good for the most parts today,” he said.

“[We] started to get a little bit complacent, a little bit too relaxed, and let them back in the game. But I’m happy [with] the way we closed it out. We really didn’t give them a lot of opportunities on our goal and we made use of the ones that we created which was also good.”

The Montego Bay coach added: “I thought we had some good moments where we combined a lot, but again, the final decision in the attacking third needs to get better. But we’ll continue to work, and hopefully we can get [better].”

It was back-to-back losses for Chapelton.

Club executive Kaycie Butler told the
Jamaica Observer that Sunday’s loss was “just one of those games”.

She added: “We need to go back to the drawing board and, you know, reflect as a team and work on our flaws and come back better for the next game.”

Butler said there were some positive takeways for Chapelton.

“[We] showed heart, we showed character, we showed unity, but as I said, there are just some little things we need to tweak.”

She noted the arrival of some new players during the transfer window, including 15-year-old Nathaniel McCarthy who came off the bench in the second half for his JPL debut.

Chapelton were not allowed any time to settle as they were down after Gibbs finished off a good move with a low, hard shot past goalkeeper Prince Daniel Smith in the third minute.

Montego Bay took charge of the game with wave after wave of attacks but failed to add to their lead until the 77th minute. The goal came when Fletcher turned past a defender and fired his effort past Smith into the corner of the goal.

— Paul A Reid

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

•Racing 1, Portmore 1

•Dunbeholden 4, Harbour View 2

•Treasure Beach 1, Arnett Gardens 1

•Montego Bay 2, Chapelton 0

•Mount Pleasant 0, Waterhouse 1

•Molynes 1, Spanish Town Police 1

Montego Bay United’s Lucas Lima Correa (foreground) shields the ball from Chapelton Maroons player Marcus Roas Filho during the Jamaica Premier League match at Jarrett Park in St James on Sunday.