BARBICAN FC’s coach Marvin Tate was left rueing his team’s shambolic defending after they lost 1-3 to reigning champions Montego Bay United in the Red Stripe Premier League football match at the Barbican Complex on Thursday last.

Owayne Gordon struck the opener for third-placed Montego Bay in the 13th minute before Dino Williams (32nd) and Allan Ottey (76th) extended the visitors’ lead. Substitute Donovan Segree, who entered the game in the 73rd minute, notched the consolation goal for cellar-team Barbican six minutes later.

The hosts were reduced to 10 players in the 87th minute when Akino Bailey was given a second yellow card for a foul on Montego Bay substitute Donavan Carey inside the penalty area. Ottey’s weak penalty kick was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Nicholas Campbell.

The victory took Montego Bay to 52 points, just a point from joining Arnett Gardens FC (60 points) and Waterhouse FC (54 points) in the semi-finals.

The loss all but confirmed the demotion of Barbican after only a single season in the nation’s top flight. They were left on 24 points, still nine points adrift of 10th-placed Sporting Central FC, with only three match days remaining in the preliminary stage.

“We’ve been doing a job of giving away easy chances. We got the first chance of the game and then right after we gave up a goal. It’s been plaguing us all season,” an openly disappointed Tate told the Jamaica Observer after the defeat.

Though there is an improbable mathematical chance of still surviving the drop, Tate, who took over the head coaching duties in January, was far from optimistic. He said, however, that the team could not be blamed for lack of effort.

“We are out now and it was good while it lasted. It’s how life is and a team had to go down and we gave it the best shot that we had,” Tate said.

Carlos Garcia, coach of Montego Bay United, said his team’s play went flat after a bright start. But he was happy with the three points which put the holders on the verge of a last-four place.

“We missed a lot of chances and inside the first 15 minutes we could have scored two, three, four goals. In the second half we weren’t playing with the same intensity that we had at the start. And we missed the penalty, but, of course, I’m happy because it was important to win, and to score three goals away from home is difficult for us,” he said.

Teams

Barbican – Nicholas Campbell, Adrian Powell (Samuel Halliman 50th), Ramone McGregor, Mario McDonald, Akino Bailey, Kemar Thomas, Okive Blake, Akeem Brown (Donovan Segree 73rd), Jermaine Parris, Dean Phillips, Jamohy Green (Shaquelle Lewis 46th)

Subs not used – Nicholas Smith, Andre Beckford. Rushain Francis, Steven Smith

Booked – Parris (26th), Lewis (54th), Bailey (66th, ejected- 87th), McDonald (85th), Blake (90+2)

Montego Bay – Jacomeno Barrett, Winston Wilkinson, Cordell Simpson, Ricardo Morris, Allan Ottey, Dwayne Ambusley, Orlando McBayne, Owayne Gordon (Donavan Carey 83rd), Dino Williams (Kashief Brown 54th), Cornelius Henry (Ronaldo Rodney 63rd), Troy Smith

Subs not used – David Swaby, Kemiro James, Dwayne Holmes, John Barrett

Booked – Gordon (83rd), Ja Barrett (86th)

Referee – Jermaine Douglas

Assistant referees – Omar Mills, Terrence McKenzie

Fourth official – Odette Hamilton

Match commissary – Garfield McDonald