Paul Wilson of Portmore United protects the ball from Boys Town defender Pierre McPherson during their 0-0 draw at the Barbican Field on Sunday. Portmore slipped from first place to second while Boys Town also slipped one place in the standings to 10th.
Former Red Stripe Premier League winners Portmore United were held to a 0-0 draw by Boys Town at the Barbican Field on Sunday on a day when leadership of the league changed hands following a 2-1 win by Montego Bay United over FC Reno.
Portmore threatened to run roughshod over the hosts when they created two chances in the first seven minutes of play. The powerfully built Ewan Grandison first fired a grounder to the right of goalkeeper Kirk Porter who had to dive to his right to save in the 4th minute, before firing another grounder through a sea of legs, past the despairing dive of Porter, but the midfielder watched in agony as the ball crashed against the base of the upright and rebounded into play.
The hosts tried to play their way into the game and Adrian King showed a lot of enterprise down the left flank for the Red Brigade as they sought to answer the questions being asked of them.
The half failed to fulfill the promise of the fast opening and produced very little goal-mouth action after that.
King finally got the first shot towards goal for Boys Town three minutes before the break after he skipped by two Portmore defenders, but his effort was always rising above the crossbar.
Portmore had a lively start to the second half as well without creating any clear cut chances and it turned out to be pretty much of the same as neither team could get a handle on the game as such.
The game finally sprang to life with less than ten minutes left in the match. Shamar Nicholson, fresh from his trial stint at Philadelphia Union Academy, provided a neat flick pass to veteran Rafiek Thomas just inside the box but Portmore goalkeeper Sean Paul was quick off his line to avert the danger.
Then in extra time, Portmore had two chances to win the game but saw a goal bound effort cleared off the line before Kareem Manning missed the open goal from 16 yards with the last meaningful kick of the game.
Andrew Price was pleased with the overall performance of the Boys Town team despite not claiming all three points, “I think we are getting fitter, we are playing more disciplined. We had a clean sheet today that’s a step in the right direction. This is the first game (of the season) we haven’t conceded any goals, so it must be a step in the right direction. We just need to be a little bit more clinical in front of goal and that is what we are going to work on,” he said.
Portmore coach Geoffery Hewitt was also pleased with a point from the game, “It’s always good to actually take a point on the road. We would be very, very happy if we had gotten three points but we are thankful…and we will just continue to work hard.
“We are just trying to be as consistent as possible. Once we have consistency going from game to game the sky is the limit for the team.”
The draw means Portmore have now slipped to second place on goal difference, tied on 13 points with new leaders Montego Bay United who defeated third placed FC Reno 2-1. Boys Town who now have 6 points, have now slipped a spot to ninth place.
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