Defending champions Cavalier had to dig deep to salvage a 1-1 draw against Racing United in a tepid Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League (JPL) clash at the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex on Monday.

Captain Richard King’s 77th-minute equalizer rescued a point for Cavalier after Tajay Grant’s 27th-minute strike gave Racing United the lead. The result extended Cavalier’s unbeaten run to six matches, as they moved to 32 points but remained fourth in the standings behind league leaders Mount Pleasant FA (43 points), Montego Bay United, and Arnett Gardens, both on 37 points.

Meanwhile, Racing United remain 10th with 16 points.

Cavalier’s head coach, Rudolph Speid, was not too bothered by the outcome.

“We may be a bit lucky to come away with a draw, but we could have gotten all three points at the end as well, so that is just how the game goes,” Speid said in a post-game interview.

“I thought Racing probably would tire at some point, but we were flat, and the injury to Atkinson didn’t help. We stepped up in the latter part, but it wasn’t one of our better performances, so credit to Racing. They are a young team, and their energy level was up, and they pressed right throughout the match,” he added.

Both Cavalier and Racing United managed seven shots each, with only two on target apiece, which highlighted the lack of incisiveness in front of goal as neither team showed much creativity in the attacking third.

Racing United looked the more purposeful side early on and deservedly found the breakthrough when Grant got behind Cavalier’s defence to score a well-taken goal.

The St Catherine-based side controlled the tempo for the remainder of the half, as Cavalier’s cause wasn’t helped by the loss of their key playmaker, Dwayne "Busy" Atkinson, to injury. His absence further stifled the Caribbean Cup champions already subdued attack and left them struggling to create meaningful opportunities.

Racing United nearly doubled their lead early in the second half when Ranaldo Biggs made a tidy run down the right channel, but his shot was blocked by Cavalier’s defenders.

Cavalier gradually found their rhythm, with their first real chance coming in the 72nd minute when a glancing header from substitute Milan went wide.

However, they eventually pulled level five minutes later. Racing United failed to clear their lines from Giovani Laing’s dangerous free kick into the box, and King made no mistake with a firm right-footed shot from inside the 18-yard box that had goalkeeper Carlye Holmes well beaten.

Despite Cavalier’s late resurgence, they had to settle for a share of the spoils and will have plenty to ponder, especially where Atkinson’s return is concerned.

For Racing United’s head coach, Anthony Patrick, the point was satisfactory, as he remains optimistic that they will start converting draws into wins in their push for safety.

“I’m very pleased. It is just unfortunate that Cavalier got a goal back, so we just have to go back to fixing some things and move on from there. The youngsters have been working hard, and they just have to learn from this and move on,” Patrick noted.