MONTEGO BAY, St James — Montego Bay United and defending champions Portmore United battled to a testy 2-2 draw in the Legend Jamaica Premier League football game at Jarrett Park on Sunday, leaving both camps frustrated.

It was the ninth time in the last 11 meetings the teams had shared points.

A frustrated Javier Ainstein, the Montego Bay United head coach, looked on as his team squandered a lead yet again. Montego Bay were a man short from the 27th minute when Okeemo Jones was sent off.

The result left Montego Bay in fourth place on 15 points, while Portmore are ninth place on seven points.

For the second-straight game Montego Bay starting goalkeeper Davonnie Burton had to be substituted, and his replacement, St Lucian Vino Barclett, did not cover himself in glory.

Ainstein said afterwards that he thought Burton’s injury was the biggest reason they did not take all three points.

“I believe that today the injury of our keeper was something that affected the team a lot. We are coming off a game where our keeper was not able to play the entire game and today, again, the second keeper made some mistakes — and that was a shame because the players made a big effort with, at times, only nine players. And it’s a shame that happened today because I believe they were fighting a lot to to take the three points with one player less.”

The Argentine praised his team’s work rate against the title holders.

“They did a big effort, maybe 70 minutes against the champion with one player less. I believe that they are trying to do everything.”

Rudolph Austin, the Portmore coach, was not pleased with the efforts of his players.

“They [Montego Bay] are playing with 10 men. We created a lot of chances, a lot of chances, and we just kept giving it away,”

Despite noting that the Jarrett Park surface was not conducive to attractive football, Austin said there should be no excuses.

“We were playing in the channels; we got chances when we played direct. We get a lot of chances and we just not putting the ball in the back of the net.”

Despite being down to 10 players, the hosts took the lead when Jordaine Fletcher pounced on a cross from Devonte Campbell and powered the ball past goalkeeper Robert Henry in the second minute of time added in the first half.

But Portmore wasted little time getting the equaliser as Jevaughn Grant caught Barlett off his line a minute later, and lobbed the ball over the head of the goalkeeper.

Montego Bay retook the lead in the 59th minute when Fletcher repaid Campbell for his first-half assist, sending him through to beat Henry from just inside the 18-yard box.

Demario Dailey, however, salvaged a point for Portmore when he capitalised on a mix-up in the Montego Bay defence and scored from close range in the 77th minute.