Portmore, Boys' Town happy with a point

Nodley Wright, Gleaner Writer

Second-round leaders Portmore United will have to wait until the final games of the round in the Digicel Premier League (DPL) on January 2, 2011, to confirm a place in the end-of-round final as they were held to a goalless draw by Boys' Town at the Ferdie Neita Park on Wednesday.

With the one point gained from the draw, Portmore continued to be the best placed in the round to secure a place in the final as other contenders also slipped up.

Sporting Central ended 1-1 with Reno at Frome, while Arnett Gardens and Tivoli played to a 1-1 tie at the Edward Seaga Complex. Both Sporting Central and Arnett Gardens now sit on 18 points, two behind Portmore United.

While the draw eliminated any chances that were harboured by Boys' Town, Harbour View kept their slim hopes alive with an emphatic 4-0 thumping of the troubled Benfica at Drax Hall as they climbed to 17 points.

Despite his team's failure to secure their place in the end-of-round final while having the opportunity for the second game in a row, Portmore United's coach, Linval Dixon, remained "satisfied".

"It did not happen, but we are still satisfied with the point and the team really fought hard today, so we will have to wait until the final game to book our place," Dixon said at the end of the game.

He added: "It was a good game overall from both team's perspective. We knew that a game like this would be tight with a few chances being created, but when you get your one chance, you have to put it away. Today, we did not do that, and of course we were looking for three points to seal our place in the end-of-round final."

Boys' Town's Andrew Price was full of praise for his team.

Stout-hearted defence

"Playing away from home here at Ferdie Neita Park, we really gave a stout-hearted defence and with a little bit more luck, we could have gotten something more out of the game," a pleased Price said.

"It is always good to get a point out of the game. We could have gotten three, but it is important that the team is stopping players from getting goals, and what we have to do now is start scoring some goals. I am really encouraged with what I saw today, the youngsters are really coming on, and I look forward to the new year when we can really start playing some good football when we have all our players healthy," he added.

The game itself saw the two teams employing different approaches. Portmore United, with better quality in midfield, dominated that area with better possession, passing, and movement, while Boys' Town chose a more direct route. What both teams had in common, though, was a failure to create clear openings and score.

During the first half, Portmore United had the slight edge, with Steven Morrissey being a handful for Boys' Town with his pace and strength, which forced Asrick Samuels to be at his best to contain him. Morrisey had the best chance of the half when a ball from Eric Vernan broke for him in the 25th minute. With the hulking figure of goalkeeper Philmore Crumbie charging down on him, Morrissey lost his footing and the chance from about six yards out.

Boys' Town looked a better team in the second half, with Joel Williams showing himself more and Michael Campbell, who had a forgettable first half, showing improvement. Campbell could have given Boys' Town the lead in the 50th minute, but he shot high after getting behind the Portmore defence.