Rivoli United's central defender Omar Parker (right) tackles Portmore United's striker Roen Nelson during the Digicel Premier League football match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

RIVOLI United failed to break their winless jinx against Portmore United in their Digicel Premier League match at the Spanish Town Prison Oval, as they were beaten 3-0 yesterday.

Nathan Coo-Booth, Roen Nelson and Steven Morrissey scored the goals.

The first goal came in the 38th minute when Coo-Booth scored a header from a goalmouth melee.

Rivoli rallied through Devon Hodges, Omar Parker and Fidel Anderson, however, they did not score due to good defending from Portmore, which held their advantage to half-time.

On the resumption, Rivoli appeared surprisingly deflated and the more-seasoned Port-more aggregation ran rings around them with Nelson, Mario Swaby, Bryan Bayliss, Tyrone Sawyers and Ricardo Cousins constantly putting them under pressure.

Slotted home

In the 51st minute, Nelson ably shook off his marker and calmly slotted home a right-footed chance that gave Rivoli custodian Leighton Murray no chance, and increased the score to 2-0.

In the 68th minute, a bad pass by Derrick Planter was intercepted by Swaby, who passed to Nelson on the right flank. Nelson left Martin King for dead and crossed the ball to the left side of the goal area, where Sawyers headed it into the path of Morrissey, who rose above his markers to head home and make the score 3-0.

This scoreline seemed to further zap the wind out of Rivoli's sails and several supporters started to leave Prison Oval. Despite the injection of substitute Mark Newsome for Derrick Planter, and the persistence of Hodges, the home team could not pull back a goal.

Portmore United are now locked with Tivoli Gardens in second place on 31 points but are third overall on an inferior goal difference. Harbour View lead with 33 points.

Referee Kevin Thomas kept the proceedings under control and even as Portmore led comfortably, they took no chances and made three substitutions with Anthony Modeste replacing Coo-Booth, Kevin Deerr for Bayliss and Michael Binns for Morrissey.

Linval Dixon, Portmore's coach, said persistence paid off for his team.

"We knew that Rivoli would be hard to beat at home. We played a waiting game and with the likes of Nelson, Bayliss and Morrissey, we secured the three points and it feels really good to be in this position. It's like a gift for 2009."

When The Gleaner inquired if they'll be getting anyone when the transfer market opens on January 2, Dixon replied: "Yes, we've been looking at several names, but we won't be giving out any now as the team is playing well."

Several attempts to get the attention of Rivoli United's technical director, Bradley Stewart, and other members of the technical team proved futile.

However, Stewart was overheard remonstrating his players for losing.

The loss keeps Rivoli eighth on 14 points, three above bottom-placed Sporting Central Academy, in the 12-team standings.