MONTEGO Bay United clipped Tivoli Gardens 1-0 at the Edward Seaga Stadium yesterday and consolidated top spot in the Red Stripe Premier League with 45 points.

Omar Gordon netted the winner in the third minute as Montego Bay provisionally opened up a six-point lead over the inactive Waterhouse, who play today, and Harbour View who were scheduled to play in the late kickoff last night.

It was the St James flag bearer’s second victory over Tivoli Gardens this season from three meetings. Montego Bay now have an 11-point gap over fifth-placed Tivoli Gardens on 34 points and, with a game in hand, the team from the west of the island looks a safe bet to secure a top-four play-off spot.

Head coach Hugh Solomon was pleased with the away win, pointing out that it was a hard-fought and physical game.

“Tivoli is a physical team and they came out running, but we wanted to get an early goal, and we got an early goal. We got behind the ball when we needed to and we consolidated well,” said Solomon.

He added: “We should have scored a couple more goals, but that’s how football is. We got one goal and we are satisfied.”

It was a game of few chances, but it was obvious which team wanted it more as the visitors looked sharper and were quicker to the ball on most occasions.

Glendon Bailey, head coach of Tivoli Gardens, was clearly a disappointed man at game’s end.

“I think in the first half we started flat and didn’t play our ball the way we should have. We were a little tentative. But in the second half we came out with more purpose and put the fight to them, and that is what you ask from the team to give you that for 95 minutes,” he pointed out.

“The game was decided today (yesterday) by bad officiating and football was supposed to have gone past that; we supposed to leave the playing on the football field,” he added.