CLARENDON PARK, Clarendon — The gap between relegation rivals Sporting Central Academy and Reno FC remains at five points, as both sides played out an uneventful 0-0 draw in their third round Red Stripe Premier League fixture at Juici Park yesterday.

Neither side really dominated proceedings, but it is the visiting Reno side that will reflect on this encounter with the most regret. Though they inched to 28 points, the Westmoreland side is still five points adrift of safety in 11th place, with only three games left to stave-off demotion from the top flight.

But even while bemoaning this as a lost opportunity to narrow the gap, coach Wendell Downswell remains hopeful that the Flow Champions Cup winners can still avoid the drop.

“We desperately needed three points here, but all is not lost,” said Downswell in his post-game interview.

“We still have a chance, so we just have to go out and give it everything we have.”

His Sporting Central counterpart, Nigel Stewart, was similarly unimpressed with his team’s failure to secure full points.

But, with a five points cushion, which he cautioned still does not guarantee safety, Stewart was more optimistic about his team’s chances of beating relegation.

He said: “We played a little bit flat, but the good thing is that we didn’t lose the game. We are still five points above the relegation zone, so we just need to stay focused and ensure that we get the job done in our next three games.”

— Oshane Tobias