Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter

Defending Red Stripe Premier League champions, Portmore United, avenged their two defeats to promoted Cavalier earlier this season after getting the better of them 2-0 in their 24th round meeting yesterday at Stadium East.

Portmore United, which lie second in the 12-team standings, got their goals from Jamar Jackson (39th) and Sueala McCalla (82nd), as they progressed to 41 points.

Cavalier had previously defeated Portmore 2-1 both home and away, but failed to find the back of the net for the third consecutive game, as they fell one place to seventh on 34 points.

With league leaders Harbour View having also won their match - against bottom-place Savannah - Portmore remain 10 points adrift of the Stars of East. Portmore's head coach, Andre Waugh, is intent on his team winning their matches to remain within striking distance.

"We pride ourselves as a quality organisation that is always contending for titles," Waugh said. "We are never just participating, so we want to keep in touching distance, we want to be there in case they (Harbour View) slip up.

"We still have them (Harbour View) to play twice this season, so we are remaining optimistic and we will continue working hard," he added.

Too many long passes

Portmore United dominated possession from the opening whistle, but were not penetrative in the early moments of the game as they made too many long passes. One of the long passes finally paid off in the 39th minute when Cavalier's defence partially cleared a ball in their box, which Jackson latched on to and hit a lovely looping 30 yards shot that beat goalkeeper Gariece McPherson.

Cavalier should have pulled level in the 58th minute when Kirk Fletcher fired high from four yards after he was found unmarked on the back post by Claudious Blackburn.

Portmore United wrapped up the points in the 82nd minute when McCalla's scored for the second game running, as his shot from outside the area struck the crossbar and was adjudged to have fallen over the goal line by assistant referee Lloyd Edwards.

"Today it is just failure to capitalise on the opportunities that we got that cost us this game," Cavalier's coach, David Laylor, said.

"Games are won and lost by mistakes and we made mistakes and they (Portmore) capitalised on it, hence they came out victorious."

Laylor believes goalscoring is now becoming an issue for the second End-of-Round finalists and intends to make adjustments going forward, as his team has now managed a mere 24 goals in as many games - the worst record by any of the top-seven teams.

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com

Yesterday's results

Savannah 0

Linval Wilson (red card 34th)

Harbour View 2

Jermaine Hue (40th pen.)

Andre Fagan (45th)

Jermaine Hue (red card 89th)

Cavalier 0

Portmore United 2

Jamar Jackson (39th)

Sueala McCalla (82nd)

Waterhouse 3

Jason Watson (8th)

Weston Forrest (20th)

Jermaine Anderson (73rd)

Boys' Town 1

Carlos Wright (60th)

Sporting Central 2

Jamoly Powell (52nd)

Cory Hylton (77th)

Highgate United 3

Richard Allison (10th)

Carlos Barrett (16th, 37th)

Montego Bay United 2

Lesly St Fleur (36th)

Dino Williams (54th)

Tivoli Gardens 1

Andre McFarlane (64th)

Today's game:

9 p.m. Arnett Gardens vs Humble Lion at Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex