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Portmore throws down gauntlet for top spot

Published:Sunday | January 6, 2019 | 12:00 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
Mount Pleasant FA’s Romario Campbell (centre) goes down under the challenge of the Portmore United pair of Donnegy Fer (left) and Chavany Willis during their Red Stripe Premier League match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.
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After beating Mount Pleasant Football Academy 1-0 at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday to reclaim the top spot on the Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) table, Portmore United head coach Shavar Thomas says they will be keeping the pressure right through the season on any challenger that wants to contend for the league's top spot.

The team that tops the preliminary round on points will walk away with $1 million dollars, and yesterday's win put Portmore at the top of the standings with 35 points, one more than Waterhouse, who face Cavalier FC this evening, but Thomas said it was important to be back at the summit.

"It's important, and we are just going to keep on putting the pressure on people, and we are going to keep doing this all season until we are back at the top of the table," he said.

Ricardo Morris' exquisite volley six minutes before the break was enough to give the hosts all three points. However, both teams were excellent in the first half and gave spectators a treat in high-intensity attacking football. Daniel Green and Cardel Benbow created most of the problems for the hosts, while Morris pulled the strings in midfield for Portmore, with Javon East and Rondee Smith getting good looks at goal.

Portmore had a great chance to put the game out of Mount Pleasant's reach 15 minutes from time, but Smith lifted his penalty over the bar after Surinamese forward Donnegy Fer was pulled back in the box.

 

SHOWING METTLE

 

Mount Pleasant dominated most of the second-half and thought they had an equaliser minutes from full time when Benbow tapped in from three yards after goalkeeper Shaven-Sean Paul dropped a corner inside the area. But the initial shot came from another Mount Pleasant player before Benbow controlled and fired home from three yards, only to find he was ruled offside by the referee's assistant.

Thomas said his team continues to show character and mettle in tough games.

"Sometimes, we kept giving up too many fouls in our half, and that offset what we wanted to do a bit, so it became a ping-pong game," he said. "It was a tough game today, as have been all our games this season. When teams know they are playing Portmore, they put out their all, and we get these type of games. But sometimes, you need games like these to know if your players have character, or how tough they are.

"We are just focused on adding points and moving forward," he added.

Losing coach Donovan Duckie, said the ruling-out of Benbow's late strike was questionable. "I thought we had a goal in the end; it was a questionable offside, I would love to see the tape again. The officials had a good game, but I would love to see the replay on that last chance," he said.