TUCKER, St James — An 85th-minute goal from Owayne Gordon salvaged a draw for Montego Bay United as they came back from a goal down to draw 1-1 with Humble Lion in their Red Stripe Premier League game at WesPow Park on Sunday.

Kevaughn Isaacs had given Humble Lion the lead after 28 minutes and the Clarendon club held on doggedly as they sought their third win in a row before the late heroics from Gordon.

The point pulled Montego Bay United level with FC Reno in second place, with the St James club having the edge on goal difference.

Linval Wilson, the Humble Lion coach, rued the “missed two points” and said his team could have killed off the game from early.

“We got a lot of opportunities but was not finishing them,” he lamented.

Wilson said his charges need to develop a culture of taking their chances against quality teams. “We needed to take the opportunities, and the only way to stop them is to score goals and we did not,” he said.

MBU Coach Timothy Hankinson said adjustments after a poor first half made the difference, including several key changes.

“This was a game of two halves, as in the first half we were poor defensively and in offence and they were able to push us up with the long balls and their forwards were able to keep possession well.

“In the second half, we fought our way back into the game and that shows character, that we were able to come back and get the goal,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

Playing in slick conditions, caused by rain just before the start of the game, the home team had the early chances, but Allan Ottey missed from close range in the 15th minute, firing into the side netting from close. Two minutes later, Cordel Simpson headed a corner just over the crossbar.

A mistake by Simpson in the 28th minute led to Humble Lion’s goal, as the central defender lost the ball midway his half and Isaacs took full advantage, cutting into the middle of the field before firing from the top of the 18-yard box beating goalkeeper Jacomeno Barrett to his right.

The goal snapped a span of 305 minutes since MBU had last conceded a goal, which was in the 73rd minute against Portmore United in the opening game.

Humble Lion goalkeeper Kadeem Davis made the first of a string of brilliant saves in the 45th minute when he tipped a free kick from the edge of the 18-yard area over his crossbar.

MBU got their goal with five minutes to go when Gordon beat Davis at his left post with a low, hard shot after the Humble Lion defence failed to get a ball away to safety.

Teams:

Montego Bay United — Dino Williams, Jermaine Woozencroft, Owayne Gordon, Allan Ottey (Donovan Carey-53rd), Ladale Richie (Ronaldo Rodney-66th), Dwayne Ambusley, Dwayne Holmes, Cordel Simpson, Kemar Drake, Orlando McBayne (Cory Hylton-81st), Jacomeno Barrett.

Subs not used: Romaine Bowers, Winston Wilkinson, Keneil Kirlew, Quante Abbott-Hill-Smith

Booked:Williams (26th), Amusley (40th), Richie (45th), Gordon (81st), Drake (87th)

Humble Lion — Kadeem Davis, Ricardo Cousins (Wolry Wolfe-76th ), Francois Swaby, Ajuran Brown, Roberto Fletcher (Levaughn Williams-58th), Devon Hodges, Hugh Howell, Kevaughn Isaacs (Dwayne Campbell-70th), Kevon Reid, Lynval Lewis, Andrew Vanzie.

Subs not used: Sanchez Lloyd, Fabian Pascoe, Horace Sharpe, Omar Walters

Booked: Howell (58th), Brown (67th)

Referee: Danion Parchment

Assistants: Nicholas Anderson, Oyinco McTaggart

Fourth Official: Raymond Bogle

Match Commissary: Linnel McLean

— Paul Reid