MONTEGO BAY, St James — Arnett Gardens FC rallied from two goals down to earn a point in a 2-2 draw against leaders Montego Bay United in the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at Jarrett Park on Sunday.

The home team was comfortably ahead before Arnett Gardens scored twice in the final 12 minutes of regulation in what Assistant Coach Fabian Taylor described as “a big result” for the visitors.

Despite dropping two points, Montego Bay continued their best-ever start in the JPL, moving to 14 points, but they could be replaced as leaders after Monday’s game between second-placed Racing United (12 points) and third-placed Waterhouse FC (11).

Montego Bay United’s Jordain Fletcher scored in the first half and Devontae Campbell added another from the penalty spot early in the second half, but goals from Giovanni Taylor and Roderick Granville ensured Arnett rescued a point.

“I thought we started a little bit slow but we picked it up somewhere in the second half,” the Arnett Gardens assistant coach said afterwards. “We conceded very early, and the boys believed in themselves and worked very hard in the second half to pull two goals back. We could have even got the win, but kudos to the boys.

“I think [it was] just heart. We asked them at half-time to really dig deep and find the extra so we could leave here with that point or all three points, and I thought the fight they showed was very brilliant,” Taylor said.

Javier Ainstein, the Montego Bay head coach, said his team has at times lacked the clinical touch to kill off games so far this season.

“This a match to win, with a lot of goals in the first half. We play really good, and in the second half we complicated ourselves because I believe that we needed to finish the game early. We didn’t, and it was similar with previous matches,” he said.

“We are underestimating the opponent and we need to finish better, the same thing against Dunbeholden [previously], and today we paid [the price] — conceding two goals at home is too much.”

Despite the game hardly getting out of first gear in the first half, MBU led at half-time and could have been up by at least three goals.

Fletcher punched home from a loose ball just outside the six-yard box in the 14th minute. And he could have scored two more, heading just wide in the 33rd minute and hitting both posts from a shot just inside the 18-yard box in the 40th minute.

Montego Bay were up 2-0 in the 49th minute when Campbell was taken down inside the 18-yard box. He got up to convert the resultant penalty.

Talyor pulled a goal back for Arnett in the 78th minute when he scored from a melee, and Granville poked home from a corner past goalkeeper Davonnie Burton in the 90th.

Elsewhere on Sunday, Tru-Juice FC returned to winning ways with a 4-0 trouncing of last-placed Humble Lion; Tivoli Gardens FC defeated Dunbeholden FC 3-0; and Chapelton Maroons edged Treasure Beach FC 1-0.

SUNDAY’S RESULTS

•Montego Bay 2, Arnett Gardens 2

•Chapelton 1, Treasure Beach 0

•Tru-Juice 4, Humble Lion 0

Tivoli Gardens 3, Dunbeholden 0

MONDAY’S GAMES

•5:00 pm — Molynes vs Cavalier @ Stadium East

•8:00 pm — Racing vs Waterhouse @ Stadium East