St Georges Sports Club's Dwayne Holmes (foreground) shields the ball from Portmore United's Carlington Smith during the Digicel Premier League football match at Ferdie Neita Park, Braeton, St Catherine, on Sunday. Portmore won 2-0. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

The coach of Premiership leaders Portmore United, Linval Dixon, stated that his team will be focusing on maintaining their lead in the Digicel Premier League standings, following their 2-0 victory over St Georges Sports Club at Ferdie Neita Park in Braeton, Portmore.

"One of the things we wanted to do is keep on winning and hope something will happen with Harbour View when they play and it did today as they drew with Arnett Gardens," he reflected on the Sunday encounters.

"We came today wanting to win the game and we proved that today that we can win and take the lead. We stuck to the task and we got the three points and sole leadership of the league and that's what we are working for."

He further stated that now his team is on top, it will not be difficult to motivate them to play at a high level.

"We want to keep them on a high because if we slip, a team will be there in the wind to catch us. We know that if we want to maintain the lead, we have to keep on plugging," Dixon pointed out.

Lost ground

The win over St Georges propelled Portmore to 60 points, two ahead of title-chasing Harbour View, 58, which lost ground in their 0-0 tie with Arnett Gardens. St Georges remain sixth on 39 points.

Portmore's first goal was superbly taken by Ricardo Cousins on the stroke of half-time. Cousins, known as one of the most lethal dead ball kickers in the island, unleashed a thunderous free kick from about 22 yards out that lodged in the upper left-hand corner of the goal, giving the Georges custodian no chance.

Portmore grew in confidence and should have doubled the lead early in the second half, but Bryan Bayliss misfired on the volley from a cross supplied by Steven Morrissey, who had a good game.

Pressure

St Georges' Daniel Shaw, a free-kick specialist himself, had Portmore fans on the edge of their seats when his 64th-minute shot from a dead-ball situation breezed across the face of the Portmore goal. But apart from a few attacks from the Portlanders, they lacked the impetus that they had when they upset Portmore 2-1 earlier in the season.

Portmore, on the other hand, pushed more players into attack and the St Georges defence wilted under pressure. Their resistance folded in the 78th minute as overlapping full back Andre Campbell scored.

Man-of-the-Match Cousins whipped in a corner from the left flank, which was flicked on by Morrissey at the near post and Campbell poked it home from close range.

Coach of St Georges, Geoffrey Maxwell, wasn't pleased with his team's performance.

"I thought tonight we didn't play. We were just going through the motions."

He added: "We have quite a few injuries, but at the end of the day, you have to live with what you have."