Portmore grab late winner over Vere

Former champions Portmore United secured their second win of the Jamaica Premier League season, getting by Vere United 2-1 at the Drax Hall Sports Complex in St Ann yesterday.

Shai Smith turned hero for Portmore, as he stepped up late in stoppage time to secure the winner.

Donovan Duckie's Vere looked to be heading towards a point after Javier Brown had cancelled out Deandre Cunningham's opener, but Smith somehow found his way between four Vere defenders to backheel a right-sided cross past goalkeeper Michael Panton in the fourth minute of added-on time.

In a game that saw both teams slow to get going, it was Vere who looked purposeful early through captain Brown.

However, it was Portmore who came closest in minute 51 when Jevick McFarlane steered a cross on to goal which seemed to have come off the crossbar and over the line, however, the referee said no goal.

Portmore eventually gained the lead through Cunningham, who curled a long-range shot past Panton on minute 55.

Vere kept pressing and earned a deserved equaliser, as Brown headed home from close range from Ramone Plummer's cross in the 61st minute.

Winning coach Lenworth Hyde praised the efforts of his frontmen who worked hard to secure the win.

"We weren't creating enough chances throughout the game and we decided to step up the pace in the attacking third, which eventually paid off for us," he said.

Duckie could not hold back his emotions as he lambasted his defenders for conceding the late winner.

"I am very disappointed," he said. "We were first dismal in front of the goal and then to concede a goal like that is crazy. [To have] six players organised at the back, and the ball passes everyone and we concede a goal is disappointing and not encouraging, but it's not the end of the world."

Portmore move to seventh in the table with eight points, while Vere slip to ninth on six points.

Stephen Barnett provided the winner for Tivoli Gardens over Molynes United in the 15th minute of the first match of the double-header.