CATHERINE HALL, St James – Former champions Montego Bay United returned to the top of the points table in the Red Stripe Premier League on Monday night after beating FC Reno 2-0 in the western derby at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

CATHERINE HALL, St James – Former champions Montego Bay United returned to the top of the points table in the Red Stripe Premier League on Monday night after beating FC Reno 2-0 in the western derby at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

Montego Bay United’s ninth win took them to 33 points, two more than Portmore United (31), with defending champions Arnett Gardens (29) and Humble Lion (28) rounding out the top four teams.

Striker Dino Williams scored both goals, one in either half as he also regained the lead in the scoring tables, one more than Rivoli United’s Cory Burke, who equalled his best tally in one season with only 17 of 33 games so far.

FC Reno played most of the second half with 10 men after captain and central defender Rondell Morris was sent off by referee Karl Tyrell in the 49th minute after an incident that also saw Williams cautioned.

It was the second win over FC Reno this season, and despite what was by consensus an “easy” victory, Montego Bay United Captain Dwayne Ambusley agreed they missed too many easy scoring chances.

“We created a lot of scoring chances which is good, but one major concern is not converting them,” he told the

Jamaica Observer after the game.

“We would have won the game by a far wider margin if we finished better and we have to go back to the practice field and work on this as we must finish these easy chances,” he said.

He hinted that they had a psychological edge over the Westmoreland team that had beaten them once in five meetings dating back to last season, a crucial must win game that saved FC Reno from relegation last season.

“Based on our preparations we knew Reno is fearful of us and once we came here and possessed the ball, we should win easy and that’s what happened,” said Ambusley.

FC Reno Coach Michael Graham agreed that his team never really put up a challenge to Montego Bay United. “It was a tough game, and playing against a quality team like Montego Bay United and then giving up a soft penalty will always be hard to come back from… then we lost the captain early in the second half; it was all downhill from there,” he noted.

Williams and Owayne Gordon have combined to score 21 of Montego Bay United’s 29 goals, and they missed at least half of that against a FC Reno team that appeared to struggle against the pace of the Montego Bay team.

The first chance came as early as the third minute when Gordon pounced on a wayward pass from a defender, but dragged his shot wide of the left post.

Montego Bay United went ahead in the 14th minute after Williams buried a penalty that was awarded after Alburn Facey inadvertently handled the ball in the box, trying to break up an attack.

Williams then set up Gordon nicely two minutes later, lofting a pass to the wide-open striker inside the 18-yard box, but he volleyed wide with only the FC Reno goalkeeper to beat.

The home team had at last three other first-half chances, but heroics from the FC Reno custodian Devaughn Hawthorne and faulty finishing saw the score unchanged at the break.

FC Reno suffered a blow after just four minutes into the second half when Morris was expelled and Montego Bay United doubled the scores after.

Williams was sent through down the middle with a pass that caught the defence flat-footed, and he gave the advancing Hawthorne no chance with a low, hard shot.

He had at least two more chances to get his hat-trick, but after beating Hawthorne outside the area in the 66th minute, squared the ball across the face of the goal.

In time added, he missed a cross from Orlando McBayne at the far left post after the entire FC Reno defence was beaten.

Johann Weatherly, who had his first start in three games, should have tapped into an open goal in the 73rd minute after a curler from Donovan Carey came back off the far right post and fell nicely in the path of Weatherly.

The teenaged winger’s speed had, however, taken him ahead of the ball and he could only watch as the ball fell behind him.

Teams

Montego Bay United

– Owayne Gordon, Dino Williams, Johann Weatherly (Ronaldo Rodney-74th), Donovan Carey (Corey Hylton-83rd), Jermaine Woozencroft (Winston Wilkinson-59th), Dwayne Ambusley, Keneil Kirlew, Kemar Drake, John Barrett, Orlando McBayne, Romaine Bowers.

Subs not used: Jacomeno Barrett, Quante Abbott-Hill-Smith, Nicodie Haughton, Romario Clarke

Booked

: Weatherly (40th), Williams (49th), Wilkinson (75th), Hylton (90th)

FC Reno – Devaughn Hawthorne, Roshane Sharpe, Rondell Morris, Kirk Mullings, Denmark Gillings, Alburn Facey (Renorio Downswell-46th), Afiba Chambers, Shamar Bernard, Jashane Foster (Jason McLean-46th), Kayce Bromfield (Tyshan Hill-63rd), Miguel Barnaby.

Subs not used: Kavar Walker, Omar Johnson, Bershan Bryan, Leonard Rankine

Booked: (Morris-ejected 49th)

Referee: Karl Tyrell

Assistants: Keble Williams, Oyinco McTaggart

Fourth Official: Veralton Nembhard

Match Commissary: Devon Maxwell