Humble Lion president Mike Henry (right) and a fan celebrating his club's 3-0 win over Portmore United in last night's Red Stripe Premier League match at Ferdie Neita Park in Portmore, St Catherine. - Winston Sill

The champagne remained on ice at Ferdie Neita Park last night as Red Stripe Premier League (RSPL) champions in waiting, Portmore United, were beaten 3-0 by Humble Lion.

Portmore United now remain six points ahead of second-place Boys' Town on 66 points with two games to play, one of which is a meeting between the two teams on the weekend. A win then for Boys' Town would take the title race into the final day of the competition while Portmore could claim the title with a win.

Former Portmore United star Wolry Wolfe, once a member of a family of three which represented the club alongside brothers Kemeel and Rafe, struck two vital blows in the 70th and 90th minutes to put a stop to all plans of celebrations harboured by the home team. Captain Omando McLoud scored the other goal for Humble Lion in the 86th minute as club president Mike Henry performed a jig as the final goal kissed the back of the net.

formality

Needing just a point to win the St Catherine-based Portmore were expected to routinely pick up the point with a draw and complete the formality of claiming the 2011/2012 title and end all interest in the competition. The visitors had other plans, however, as they looked the more comfortable of the two teams and went on to take advantage of Portmore United's apprehension.

Lenworth Hyde Jr responded to the call of his father Lenworth Hyde Sr, to inspire the team to victory and played a part in the first two goals. Seconds after he first entered the field his first touch was a return pass to Wolfe from the corner and the latter curled a delightful ball low in the right hand corner of the goal as Gariece McPherson had no chance. Sixteen minutes later he set up McLoud who powered home low and hard from close to 25 yards.

"It was not a grudge match. It was nothing like that, we just wanted to come out and perform," said Humble Lion coach Hyde Sr, who once coached Portmore United.

His team he said were hell bent on not losing a third time to their opposition.

"It is a tough loss losing 3-0 at home and we are going through a rough patch now having not won in the last four games but we have to bounce back and we will against Boys' Town on Sunday," a disappointed Portmore United coach Calvin Lewis said at the end of the game.