MAY PEN, Clarendon – Portmore United returned to winning ways in the Red Stripe Premier League after edging Humble Lion 1-0 at the Effortville Community Centre on Sunday.

The former champions had slipped to second following two successive defeats, but turned in a dogged performance in central Clarendon to regain top spot at the expense of the idle Montego Bay United.

Midfield enforcer Ewan Grandison emerged the hero after his 77th-minute in-swinging corner managed to elude the entire Humble Lion rearguard on its way into the net.

Prior to Grandison’s winner, Humble Lion came closest to breaking the deadlock but were twice denied by the frame of the goal.

The defeat snapped their five-game unbeaten run, though they remain in the top four on 28 points, six behind Portmore, whose Technical Director Andre Waugh said this victory was significant to their title ambitions.

Humble Lion’s Linval Wilson thought his team was unlucky, but was nonetheless gracious in defeat. “All is not lost,” he said. “We are still where we want to be, so we just have to return with a bigger focus next time.”

He added: “We were five unbeaten, so I also have to say congratulations to Portmore. They are a quality team and they fought hard and took their chance.”

Despite sitting in the top four, perhaps Humble Lion’s biggest problem remains their poor goalscoring record, which was again on display in their latest defeat.

Only 10th-placed Cavalier SC have scored fewer goals (11) than Humble Lion’s 14.

While he did not single out this as their main concern, Wilson did reveal that they will be using the Yuletide break “positively”.

“Our aim is to win the championship so we are not going to take any break,” he said. “We are going to work until a voice say ‘work no more’.”

With this result, the promoted Portmore outfit increased their tally to 34 points from 18 games, which will ensure that they end 2015 in the top two, a feat that Technical Director Andre Waugh said is crucial to their long-term ambitions.

“Regardless of the streak, we needed a win because we always want to win,” said Waugh.

“[This] is very significant for us,” he continued, “because playing against Humble Lion there is always a rivalry and it brings the best out of our players.”

Waugh admitted that there were concerns about their mini dip in form, which included 1-2 and 0-3 home defeats to Cavalier and Boys’ Town, respectively.

“We know it is still early in the season, but we had to get back to the mindset that brought us where are. And today you could see that the players were a lot more disciplined and organised, and they fought for 90 minutes,” he reasoned.

TEAMS:

Humble Lion – Kadeem Davis, Gregory Lewis, Hugh Howell, Ricardo Campbell, Linval Lewis, Andrew Vanzie, Ricardo Cousins (Cousins 63rd), Wolry Wolfe, Levaughn Williams (James Thomas 78th), Francois Swaby (Jermaine Christian 67th), Devon Hodges.

Subs not used: Allien Whittaker, Kevon Reid, Kadian Wynter, Roberto Fletcher, James Thomas.

Booked: Howell (59th)

Portmore United – Shaven-Sean Paul, Omar Daley, Damano Solomon, Ryan Wellington, Roberto Johnson, Osani Ricketts, Ewan Grandison, Michael Binns, Kemo Gayle, Stephen Williams (Mark Alves 87th) Javan East.

Subs not used: Donan Atkinson, Kevin Deer, Azdaine Grant, Rodian Jennings, Kambuji McCalla.

Booked: Ricketts (74th), Daley (90th+)

Referee: Oshane Nation

Assistants: Lloyd Reader, Keble Williams

Fourth Official: Jermaine Douglas

Match Commissary: Ainsley Sharpe

–— Oshane Tobias