MONTEGO BAY, St James — In a dramatic Jamaica Premier League encounter at Jarrett Park on Wednesday, Montego Bay United emerged victorious with a 4-3 win over Dunbeholden FC in challenging muddy conditions. Despite the favorable result that extended their league lead, Head Coach Xavier Gilbert expressed significant dissatisfaction with his team’s overall performance.
The match proved to be an offensive showcase with Ricardo Ramsey delivering a remarkable second-half brace within a mere 60-second span, contributing to Montego Bay’s accumulation of 57 points this season. This positions them eight points clear of second-place Mount Pleasant FA, though their rivals maintain two games in hand.
Coach Gilbert criticized his squad’s lack of discipline following the narrow victory: ‘We made it unduly difficult for ourselves today, and for that I am disappointed. Our first-half dominance yielded only a single goal when we should have secured the game early.’ He particularly emphasized emotional regulation issues: ‘Several players became frustrated with officiating decisions, but championship teams maintain composure regardless of circumstances.’
Opposing coach Byjeon Thomas acknowledged his Dunbeholden squad’s ‘spirited performance’ while conceding that defensive errors proved costly. ‘I must credit our players’ effort, but we conceded avoidable goals. Our tactical approach successfully disrupted their preferred style of play through wide-area attacks that created significant problems,’ Thomas noted.
Match chronology revealed a back-and-forth contest: Malachi Sterling broke the deadlock during first-half stoppage time with his second consecutive goal. Dunbeholden equalized via Shakeem Powell’s 59th-minute penalty, only for Ramsey’s rapid double strike to establish a two-goal advantage. Powell completed his brace in the 71st minute before substitute Stephen Barnett leveled the score at 3-3 in the 77th minute. Dwight Merrick ultimately secured victory for the hosts with an 83rd-minute winner that deflected off the left upright into the net.