Surprised Red Stripe Premier League leaders Portmore United will be hunting their sixth win from their last seven games, and they are heavily favoured to achieve that against a goal-shy Cavalier at the Stadium East field starting at 5:00 pm.

In four games today, Boys’ Town will host Rivoli United at Barbican field at 3:00 pm, Tivoli Gardens travel to Harbour View at 6:30 pm and UWI welcome Waterhouse to the Bowl at 3:00 pm.

Portmore United have been pouring on the victories, winning nine of their 15 games and hold a two-point lead atop of the league on 31 points.

The Geoffrey Hewitt-coached team are coming off to an impressive 3-0 win over the University of the West Indies (UWI) and will now go up against a struggling Cavalier down in 11th spot on 14 points and should feel confident of securing another victory.

Cavalier are having a real hard time scoring goals, netting just five goals in 15 games, and if they cannot turn that around, the Rudolph Speid-coached outfit will be favourites for relegation. 

They sold their top striker Girvon Brown to UWI and he has banged in four goals this season for his new club. The talented Chevonne ‘Messi’ Marsh is Cavalier’s top scorer with three of their five goals.

Cavalier will have their hands full against an upbeat Portmore United team that is getting better with each match. However, there is a feeling that Cavalier are due to start scoring soon and today could be the beginning of good things to come.

Meanwhile, former champions Harbour View could climb into the top four for the first time this season if they can get the better of the inconsistent Tivoli Gardens in the late kick-off at the Compound.

Harbour View are up to sixth on 21 points and with the fourth and fifth-placed teams — Arnett Gardens (23) and Reno (22) — inactive until tomorrow, the Stars of the East know the importance of a home victory against seventh-placed Tivoli on 18 points.

Bottom-placed Waterhouse, on 13 points, and ninth-placed, UWI (16 points) battle in a crucial encounter at the Mona Bowl in what could turn out to be a massive fight between two relegation threatened teams.

Although not quite a relegation battle, Boys’ Town in eighth spot on 18 points, and 10th-placed Rivoli United on 14 points, clash at Barbican field, both hunting three valuable points in efforts to stay above the drop zone.

Tomorrow, third-placed Humble Lion (26 points) host second-placed Montego Bay United (29) at Effortville Community Centre at 3:00 pm, while at Frome, FC Reno, in fifth on 22 points, take on fourth-placed Arnett Gardens on 23 points.

— Howard Walker