TUCKER, St James — Montego Bay United move five points clear at the top of the points tables in the Red Stripe Premier League yesterday, after carving out a hard-fought 1-0 win over fourth-placed Cavalier at Wespow Park in Tucker, St James.

In a game that ended with tempers flaring after referee Lewin Purser added eight minutes of added time, it took a first-half defensive error to decide the game.

The Cavalier defence left two Montego Bay United players, including Kemiro James, unmarked at the far right post, and the player obliged by slotting the ball home from inside the six-yard box in the 29th minute.

With two sets of games to be played in the first round, Montego Bay United are on 19 points from nine games; Humble Lion are next on 14 points with a game in hand, followed by Tivoli Gardens and Cavalier, both on 13 points.

David Pryce, the MBU assistant coach, told the Jamaica Observer after the game that the team had met the objective which was to “get three points”.

David Laylor of Cavalier said the plan was to keep possession of the ball to slow down the MBU hard-running style, and that worked for long periods, except that they gave up a goal in the first half.

“We started playing our passing game much too late, and we took too long to get into a rhythm and that cost us,” he said.

Laylor said, however, he did not think that the game, that got increasingly physical, affected their chances to score. “This is what we expected, MoBay are the leaders, and we were right behind them, so we expected a tough game.”

The home team forced Cavalier back on their heels early with crosses from either flank, one in the 16th minute from Lacon Brissett that flew across the goal giving goalkeeper Jovel Plunkett no chance, but none of Brissett’s teammates were able to capitalise.

Another cross a few minutes later, from almost the same spot, from James was just inches away from the Cavalier crossbar.

Lesly St Fleur took on the Cavalier defence with a run from deep in his own half, all the way to the edge of the 18-yard box before firing straight to Plunkett.

The breakthrough came in the 29th minute with Cavalier pinned down in their own defensive area, but they were lured to the front post only for a cross to be whipped to the back post where James had time to get the ball under control and slot home easily.

St Fleur brought out the best in Plunkett in the 36th minute when his shot on the run was knocked down by the goalkeeper and gathered on the second attempt.

With Cavalier pressing for the equaliser, Montego Bay United dominated the chances in the second half, but Plunkett kept them in the game with a series of good saves, sometimes even venturing out of his area to use his feet.

Allan Ottey just missed adding a second goal for MBU in the 78th minute when he was allowed to run at the Cavalier defence, but his shot from the left flank just missed the far post by inches.