TUCKER, St James — Four days after the sudden and unexpected resignation of coach Donovan Duckie, Montego Bay United scored their first win of 2014 when they beat Rivoli United 1-0 in their Red Stripe Premier League second-round game at WespoW Park in Tucker yesterday.

Fabian McCarthy’s first-half penalty, and a missed penalty by Rivoli’s Devon Hodges in the second half helped the Montego Bay club beat the promoted Spanish Town team for the second time this season, after a 3-0 margin at the same venue in the first round. They thus secured their eighth win, matched by eight draws and two losses, to maintain the second place on the points table on 32, four behind leaders Harbour View who will entertain Sporting Central at home when Monday night football returns at 7:00 pm.

In other results yesterday, Waterhouse blanked home team Tivoli Gardens 2-0 on a Gary McIntosh brace; Arnett Gardens whipped Cavalier 3-0, and August Town edged Humble Lion 2-1 at UWI, Mona.

Despite snapping a three-game run of draws, Montego Bay United, who took orders from Dr Dean Weatherly who had been with the club on an interim basis, told the Jamaica Observer, they have now gone 10 games where they have scored one goal or less.

After the game, where the home team could have scored at least two more goals in the second half despite giving up more possession to Rivoli United, Weatherly described the win as “welcomed after so many games where we have not been winning, and I hope this is the start of a winning trend.”

Dr Weatherly, who had taken over when Brazilian Neider Dos Santos threw in the towel some time ago, said the sudden resignation of Duckie had a big effect on the team. “Our play, especially in the first half, was disjointed, and the mental approach by the players was not where we wanted it to be. But we saw some improvement in the second half and this win will help us stay close to the leaders.”

Rivoli’s coach Calvert Fitzgerald also thought his team played better in the second half, but bemoaned his team’s failure to score, even when a foul by Montego Bay United’s goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett gave them a penalty.

“It was a pretty good game for us,” Fitzgerald said. “MoBay United had the better of the first half, but I think we had more possession and also the better of the chances in the second half, but poor finishing caused us not to score,” he said.

Despite playing without a number of their senior players, the home team had the better of the game early in the proceedings and grabbed the advantage in the 35th minute when McCarthy fired past goalkeeper Shannon Bartley, after defender Jermaine Henry tripped Ronaldo Rodney just inside the penalty area.

Lesley St Fleur came close to doubling the advantage in the 43rd minute, but his shot was saved by Bartley, who tipped it over the crossbar.

Most of the second half was played in a persistent drizzle as the visitors came at Montego Bay United seeking at least an equaliser and should have had it when Barrett pushed a Rivoli player in the back as they both went for a cross.

Hodges, however, shot high over the bar in the 54th minute.