Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Meadhaven United's Weston Forrest scores past Reno custodian Gavin Barrett, while Reno defender Keneil Moodie (No.5) and Meadhaven's Rohan Williams (partly hidden) look on during the Digicel Premier League match at Constant Spring football field yesterday. Meadhaven won 2-1. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Defending champions Portmore United claimed a second consecutive big scalp in as many home games, when they surged to a dramatic 2-1 victory over league leaders Harbour View at Ferdie Neita Park, in the Digicel Premier League yesterday.

An absolute cracker of a goal by substitute Anthony Bennett proved to be the difference and left Harbour View's well-wishers stunned, when he collected a through ball from midfielder Steven Morrisey and, drifting a little to the right of goal, rocketed a shot far to the left of Harbour View custodian Dwayne Miller from just inside the area.

More painful

Perhaps even more painful for the Stars of the East was the fact that a far-post header from Girvan Brown had beaten Portmore goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers, who had followed the high cross, but was cleared off the line just seconds earlier.

Seeming to be convinced that there was a handball involved in the play, several players were still protesting on the line when Sawyers pushed the ball wide of a Harbour View attacker and blasted it up the pitch. Portmore scored the winner from the same play.

In the first half, striker Kevin Deerr picked up a through ball in the area before firing a close-range 36th-minute shot, which bounced over the head of Harbour View goalkeeper Miller, cancelling out an effort from Keith Kelly just five minutes earlier.

"It's particularly heart-rending to go from thinking you have secured a winner to losing the game. Some of my players thought that it was controversial decision, but that's football," said Harbour View assistant coach Donovan Hayles.

Linval Dixon, coach of the Portmore team, was encouraged by both the win and his team's effort.

"We really needed this one and the players went out that way. We didn't want Harbour View going 10 points clear," he said.

Summary of yesterday's matches in the Digicel Premier League

Boys' Town 1 Tivoli Gardens 2 at Collie Smith Drive

GOALS: Boys' Town - George Vernal 67th; Tivoli - Navion Boyd - 51st, 65th

Portmore United 2 Harbour View 1 at Ferdie Neitan Park

GOALS: Portmore - Kevin Deerr 36th, Anthony Bennett 90+; Harbour View - Keith Kelly 31st

Village United 0 St Georges 2 at Jarrett Park

GOALS: St Georges - Damion Harwood - 35th, 60th

Meadhaven 2 Reno 1 at Constant Spring football field

GOALS: Meadhaven - Norman Bailey 3rd, Weston Forrest 25th; Reno - Gary McIntosh 84th

Rivoli 1 Arnett Gardens 0 at Spanish Town Prison Oval

GOALS: Rivoli - Devon Hodges 8th

Sporting Central Academy vs Waterhouse at Brancourt, Clarendon, was washed out after six scoreless minutes.