An 82nd minute item by Defence Force forward Devorn Jorsling on Friday night kept winning at the top of the Digicel Pro League Championship.
After being marshaled by goalkeeper Cleon John throughout the match, Jorsling broke the deadlock with eight minutes on the board for a 1-0 win over North East Stars.
It was Defence Force's sixth straight win of the Championship and North East Stars second straight defeat.
The Ross Russell-coached soldiers now enjoy 22 points at the top, six points clear of second positioned Caledonia AIA (16 points) who takes on third positioned W Connection (12 points) in the second match of the Round Two Match Day Two double header at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
Meantime the Stars are fourth on the standings with 10 points.
The Angus Eve coached-Stars were on the defense in the 17th minute but earned applause when John made successive saves by blocking out a strike by Jorsling and recovered brilliantly to deny the Defence Force forward again.
John was forced into it again in the 33rd minute, making a simple catch on Kevon Carter's curling effort towards his left upright.
And in the 37th minute Carter rolled one in at goal after evading a John challenge, but Moses ran the ball away from the goal-mouth, to deny the Defence Force attacker.
John again proved again why he is considered one of the best between the uprights locally.
In the 68th minute he made a superb diving save before palming away the afterlife to deny another Jorsling strike which had goal written all over it from a hard run and cross from substitute Josimar Belgrave.
However John was beaten in the 82nd minute by Jorsling who volleyed past the North East Stars goalie from midway inside the area after the defense nodded away on a play from the right by Carter with a perfect cross.
But that didn't stop the resilience of John who made back to back saves against Belgrave in injury time.
Results
North East Stars 0 - 1 Defence Force
Devorn Jorsling 82'
Teams
North East Stars--Cleon John, Kareem Moses, Charles Pollard, Jayson Joseph, Elton John, Keryn Navarro, Kerry Baptiste (Marcus Gomez 89th), Jeromie Williams (Cornell Glen 68th), Keithy Simpson (Yellow Card), Micah Lewis (Kaydion Gabriel 74th), Glenton Wolfe (Yellow Card).
Coach--Angus Eve.
Defence Force--Kevin Graham, Corey Rivers (capt.), Keston Williams, Devin Jordan, Curtis Gonzales, Devon Jorsling (Michael Edwards 90th), Kevon Carter, Jerwyn Balthazar (Josimar Belgrave 61st), Rodell Elcock (Yellow Card), Aklie Edwards, Jemel Sebro (Ross Russell Jr. 79th).
Coach--Ross Russell.