ARNETT Gardens are enduring one of their toughest Jamaica Premier League seasons in recent years but remain confident they can secure a top six finish and a play-off spot at the end of the third round.

A 1-1 draw with Montego Bay United (MBU) at Jarrett Park on Sunday, following back-to-back losses, left Arnett one point outside the top six, in eighth place, as the second round nears its end.

Brian Brown gave MBU the lead midway through the first half but a late penalty from Ricardo Thomas earned Arnett a point. MBU maintained their six-point lead at the top on 51 points.

Mount Pleasant Football Academy moved into second on goal difference with 45 points, after drawing 1-1 with Portmore United who are fourth on 43. Racing United slipped to third.

Defending champions Cavalier moved into fifth on 33 points after beating Racing United 1-0 — one point more than Dunbeholden who beat Phoenix Chapelton Maroons 1-0 to take over sixth place on goal difference.

Arnett are on 31 points, the same as Waterhouse who have two games in hand.

Head Coach Philip Williams told the Jamaica Observer, “We still have hopes that we will get into the top six, we are still on a mission to get there. And it is not that we are playing badly, it is just that we are not able to convert the chances we create — as we saw today, we got clear chances that we did not convert.”

Williams said the two-time third-place finishers and former Caribbean Plate champions are a work in progress. “We are working on getting better. We have a young team led by Fabian Reid so there’s hope for the future, and we have high hopes of getting into the top six again this season.”

He praised goalkeeper Jeadine White, saying, “[He] put in a Man of the Match performance. I think he saved the game for us with two point-blank saves which kept us in the game when it was still 1-0; those were two crucial saves.

“It’s a good point to get [as] we were playing against the league leaders; and in terms of our performance, that was commendable. And to get a point here, I think, is a good point coming off back-to-back losses.”

Dillon Thelwell, who filled in for Xavier Gilbert while he was on national duty with the Jamaican women’s senior team, said MBU had dropped two points.

“We started the second half flat and we allowed Arnett to come back into the game,” he told the Jamaica Observer. “The first half was easy, and at the break we told the players that [Arnett Gardens] were not going to come and play the same way in the second half, but we never adjusted enough to deal with the pressure in the last 10 minutes of the game.”

MBU dominated the first 45 minutes but had only Brown’s point-blank volley in the 20th minute to show for it.

Arnett showed their intent late in the half but a reflex save by MBU goalkeeper Davonnie Burton, going full stretch to his right to parry a shot for a corner, kept them behind at the break.

MBU should have extended their lead but for White who blocked a shot from Nashordo Gibbs at his left post in the 76th minute. He was well-placed minutes later to block another attempt from inside the six-yard box.

MBU were made to pay when a defender handled the ball inside the area to concede a penalty.

Arnett had a late chance in added time to take all three points but Reid’s shot was blocked by a defender.

Meanwhile, Cavalier and Dunbeholden boosted their play-off hopes with narrow wins. Christopher Ainsworth’s first-half penalty was enough for Cavalier to hand Racing United only their second loss of the season and avenge their 4-1 first-round defeat.

Arnett Gardens Head Coach Philip Williams (Photo: Paul A Reid)