New leaders Harbour View tackle perennial opponents Waterhouse, while champions Tivoli Gardens host fierce rivals Arnett Gardens in two mouth-watering Digicel Premier League (DPL) encounters this afternoon.

In the other games, Boys’ Town travel to Portmore United; Humble Lions and Sporting Central Academy clash in the Clarendon ‘derby’; St Georges SC take on August Town and Rivoli face Village United.

Harbour View, riding on the crest of four consecutive wins, have climbed to the pinnacle of the league with 28 points and will be hoping to consolidate their new status.

But they face a tough Waterhouse team also in good nick who have won six of their last nine games in what is a remarkable turnaround by coach Geoffrey Maxwell after losing their first five games.

Waterhouse have risen to fifth in the league on 20 points, eight behind the leaders, and a win today could reduce that deficit to five points.

Their first encounter on September 20 ended 1-1, but Waterhouse were penalised for using an ineligible player and that might be the motivating factor that could see them secure a crucial win over Harbour View.

Waterhouse will be looking to Kevin Lamey, Garfield Anderson, Kenardo Forbes, Jonathan Williams, Nicholy Findlayson, Keneil Moodie, Hugh Howell and Roberto Fletcher for a victory.

Meanwhile, the in-form Marcelino Blackburn, Jermaine Hue, Richard Edwards, Dicoy Williams, Denzil Watson and young striker Andre Fagan are expected to lead Harbour View’s charge.

Second-placed Tivoli Gardens, on 26 points, have not won in their last four games, barring the end-of-round final, and face an old rival in Arnett Gardens, who have clawed their way into sixth spot on 17 points.

Tivoli will be eager to show that the mourning period over their former captain Oraine Simpson is over with a good display at home.

Roland Dean, Navion Boyd and Keammar Daley will have to rediscover their shooting boots to reignite their title challenge, despite being only two points behind the leaders.

The Fabian Davis-coached Arnett have been showing indifferent form but remain a dangerous unit, especially playing against arch-rivals Tivoli.

Arnett’s Kevin Wilson, Leon Strickland, Kevin King, Cornel ChinSue, Rohan Reid, Kwame Richardson, Nicholas Dodd, Loxley Thomas and Lennox Creary are expected to make it a testing day for Tivoli.

Former champions Portmore United have been slipping down the ladder and have found themselves in the unusual position of seventh with 17 points.

The Linval Dixon-coached boys could slip even further if they don’t get their act together against a courageous Boys’ Town team on the rise in fourth spot on 23 points.

Both teams battled to a 0-0 draw in their first-round meeting, but Boys’ Town are favoured against a rebuilding Portmore team which has lost four of its last six games.

The expected continued exposure of younger players in the Portmore team could prove costly as they are no Arsenal and are fading badly in the title race, already 11 points behind.

Meanwhile, third-placed St Georges, on 26 points, should return to winning ways against a toothless August Town who are languishing at the bottom on 10 points.

It should be a bruising contest in the Clarendon affair when Sporting travel to Effortville to take on Humble Lions.

Both teams are coming off good wins, with Sporting clipping Arnett Gardens 2-1 and Humble Lions edging Portmore United, 1-0.

The Rivoli United-Village United clash could go either way, with national striker Devon Hodges holding the key for the home team Rivoli United.

Today’s games:

3:00 pm Humble Lions FC vs Sporting Central Academy @ Effortville Community Centre.

3:00 pm St Georges SC vs August Town FC @ Lynch Park

4:00 pm Rivoli United FC vs Village United FC @ Spanish Town Prison Oval

5:00 pm Tivoli Gardens FC vs Arnett Gardens FC @ Edward Seaga Complex

6:30 pm Harbour View FC vs Waterhouse FC @ Harbour View Stadium

7:30 pm Portmore United FC vs Boys’ Town FC @ Ferdie Neita Park