WESTERN BUREAU:

Portmore United Football Club ambushed Reno FC in the dying moments of their Digicel Premier League match-up at the Frome Sports Complex in Westmoreland, to emerge 2-1 winners after trailing 1-0 for almost all the game.

Reno went one goal ahead in the 11th minute through Obrian Woodbine, who slipped past two defenders before shooting past the Portmore goalkeeper.

The Westmoreland-based team took charge thereafter, creating several chances, but in futility.

The tables turned in the 89th minute when Portmore's Roen Nelson slotted home, just inside the 18-yard box. It was followed by the deciding goal three minutes into added time, which came from the boots of Ricardo Cousins.

That goal sprung from an ambitious initiative by Kevin Deerr, who passed to Nelson, whose shot was parried by the Reno goalkeeper, only to be struck home by the waiting Cousins.

Portmore's coach Linval Dixon told The Gleaner that he was more than satisfied that his team had rebounded after a poor start in the first half.

Sloppy first half

"In the first half we were a bit sloppy in terms of marking, tracking and running back. But after the first half we made some adjustments and stepped up our intensity, in terms of running on and off the ball and that's the difference. As champions we always want to press forward and so we must give credit to our players. They really dug deep and got the victory," Dixon said.

"What we always plan to do at the away venues is that we aim to win, but if we get a draw, fine. Scoring one goal would motivate any team to go forward. At the end we got another goal and three points is really a big plus for us. We want to keep on winning and put pressure on the leaders," he added.

An obviously upset Reno coach, Wendell Downswell, could be seen reprimanding his players after the game. He told The Gleaner that his players were at fault.

"From the coaching standpoint, we did all we could to carry them to that point and they just lapsed in concentration. And they have been just conceding these kinds of goals, some goals out of nothing. This is something we have worked on in training and in the last five to 10 minutes we lapsed. The most dangerous player on the (Portmore) team, the leading goalscorer, we left him unmarked. We suffered the consequences and we have only ourselves to blame for that," Downswell lamented.