MBU2

Turner (39th), Murray (58th)

Arnett Gardens2

Allen (27th), Guthrie (54th)

CATHERINE HALL, St James — It was only a draw, their third of the season, but it felt like a win for Montego Bay United (MBU) and their long-suffering fans as they came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw against high-flying Arnett Gardens in their Jamaica Premier League game played at the Montego Bay Sports Complex on Sunday.

Marlon Allen and Romero Guthrie scored for Arnett Gardens, while Nevaun Turner and Kristoff Murray equalised on both occasions for the home team.

The former two-time champions are in the middle of one of the worst campaigns in recent Premier League history, rooted at the foot of the tables, but they gave the several hundred diehard fans something to cheer for as football returned to the venue for the first time in three years.

Arnett Gardens, who have won just twice in their last five games, took the lead twice — only to see the plucky MBU team coming back each time to snatch a point — their first in seven games — and ending a six-game losing skid.

The point kept Arnett Gardens in third place on 32 points while MBU are still rock bottom on six points, looking set to finish there.

With the Leecroft Lettman-coached team suffering an injury crisis, 41-year-old assistant coach and former captain, Dwayne Ambusley suited up and played the full 90 minutes, bringing some stability to the midfield and well-needed on-field leadership.

It was the first time since their 4-1 win over Molynes United in the third round last year that MBU managed more than one goal in a game, having scored just three goals in their last 11 outings.

Lettman said the “trick” he employed during the week was to get the players away from football as he “got them to relax”, sharing that the quality of play on display had been in the making since he took over when Englishman Rickey Hill walked away after seven games at the helm.

“This has been coming from I took over but it took a while to materialise,” he shared, saying he was most pleased with “how the defence was set up, and the organisation”.

Paul “Tegat” Davis, the Arnett Gardens head coach, said playing against a team with their backs against the wall was always gong to be hard.

“The game could have gone any way. This MoBay team is running hard and they are a fighting team, so we were expecting this from them,” he noted.

Despite the game starting in a drizzle, backed by their fans it was MBU that started best, with Courtney Allen’s rasping shot after 12 minutes being knocked down by Arnett Gardens goalkeeper Tafiri Chambers.

It was, however, Arnett Gardens that came closest to opening the scoring, only for Jevaun Shepherd to sweep the ball off the goal line after goalkeeper Davonnie Burton had fumbled a cross.

Arnett Gardens eventually breached the MBU defence after a well-worked play between three players in the 27th minute split open the backline, and Allen finished off with a tap in on the left side of the penalty area.

Turner levelled the scores in the 37th minute when he converted a penalty after an Arnett defender handed the ball in his own area, with Referee Okeito Nicholson being quick to award the goal.

Arnett reclaimed the lead fortuitously in the 54th minute when a ball appeared to be gong wide and the MBU players and goalkeeper Burton relaxed only for Guthrie to get to it before it went out of touch, his cross hitting the custodian and deflected into the goal.

MBU wasted no time in responding and four minutes later Murray was well placed on the left side of the penalty area to get to a ball that beat the entire Arnett defence and fell nicely to the unmarked player who rolled it into the goal.

Teams:

Montego Bay United — Davonnie Burton, Renaldo Wellington, Nevaun Turner, Giovannie Reid, Jevaun Shepherd, Dwayne Ambusley, Courtney Allen, Nazime Grant, Shaquille West (Shandee Brooks-76th), Kristoffe Murray (Leonardo Fogarty-74th), Renardo Wellington

Subs not used: Peter Sinclair, Romaine Thompson, Ricardo James, Devarow McKenzie, Fabian Forbes, Rasheed Brown

Booked: Allen (55th), Turner (60th), Brooks (83rd)

Arnett Gardens — Tafiri Chambers, Gerald Neil, Joel Cunningham, Earl Simpson, Ajuma Johnson, Shemar Boothe (Jonoy Cunningham-58th), Marlon Allen, Romero Guthrie, Kimani Arbouine, Shande James (Fabian Reid-64th), Reynaldo Cephas

Subs not used: Eric Edwards, Nathan Thomas, Rushike Kelson, Steve Clarke, Gianni Golding, Jaheim Thomas

Booked: Simpson (50th)

Referee: Okeita Nicholson

Assistants: Jermaine Yee-Sing, Ricton Archer

Fourth official: Kasa Plummer

Match commissary: Gregory Daley

— Paul Reid