UNIVERSITY of the West Indies (UWI) progressed to the next season’s Premier League competition despite ending 2-2 with Savannah SC in yesterday’s Jamaica Football Federation All-Island Confederation Play-off match at Frome Sports Complex in Westmoreland.

In the other game, Portmore United, who had already booked their place in the nation’s top-flight football competition, hammered York United 5-0 at the Spanish Town Prison Oval.

All five goals were scored in the second half as York, who entered the game needing a victory to have a chance of edging out UWI, suffered a dramatic meltdown in the final 45 minutes.

Portmore’s Suelae McCalla tapped into the goal from a low cross in the 53rd minute.Two minutes later, Roberto Johnson was released on goal after a defence-splitting pass and he skillfully eluded the York United goalkeeper and stroked the ball into an empty net.

McCalla got his second of the afternoon when he dribbled across goal and powered a shot into the net in the 64th minute.

In minute 67, Jovan East banged in from close range as Portmore eased into a 4-0 lead.

Their fifth goal of the game arrived in the first minute of time added when Johnson mishit his effort from point-blank range, but saw it lodge into the corner of the goal. McCalla missed the chance for a treble when his penalty kick was parried onto the crossbar by the York custodian.

Portmore Head Coach Linval Dixon told the Jamaica Observer that “the main objective was to finish the play-off season unbeaten”.

He said he “expected a tougher game” from York, given they were desperate for the win, but added it was “only a matter of time” for them to get the opening goal.

Arthur Mikes, head coach of Eastern Confederation champions York, said his “players showed no guts” in a shambolic second-half display.

Portmore, the South Central Confed winners, topped the four-team standings with 14 points, while UWI, the KSAFA flag bearers, ended with nine and York trailed with seven. Savannah, the Western Confed top team, propped up the base with two points.

The All-Island Confederation Play-offs was contested on a home-and-away basis.The 2015-16 Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) season is expected to begin between late August or early September.

— Sanjay Myers