VILLAGE United and Rivoli United will try to secure the final spot in the top-six (Elite Group) as the Digicel Premier League’s (DPL) third and defining round concludes today with some intriguing match-ups.

Teams are jockeying for positions in what will be a crucial fourth round in which the 12 teams will be separated into two groups and will play five games among themselves.

Once a team secures a top-six placing at the end of the third round, they are secured from relegation regardless of how many points they finish the season with.

With that in mind, sixth-placed Village on 40 points and seventh-placed Rivoli United on 37 will be trying desperately to grab the last spot available and absolve themselves from the dreaded relegation dogfight at the end of the season.

Trelawny’s Village United are in pole position to secure that spot in the Elite Group as they just need a draw against fifth-placed St Georges at Lynch Park.

It would be a remarkable achievement for the Cassman Williams-coached outfit which started the third round at the bottom of the table with 20 points from 22 games.

They have since garnered 20 points from their last 10 games, second only to Tivoli Gardens’ 25 for the third round, inclusive of six wins, two draws and two defeats.

Rivoli United, lying just three points adrift, will have to beat a desperate Sporting Central Academy who are languishing at the bottom on 32 points and that might prove to be a difficult assignment.

But back at the summit, two teams has other ideas. With the DPL now down to a two-team race between champions Tivoli Gardens (63) and Harbour View (61), both will be seeking the ascendancy to end the third round.

Tivoli have a difficult away trip to 10th-placed Portmore United, hovering just above the relegation zone on 35 points.

Both teams battled to 0-0 and 2-2 draws and with Portmore scrapping for every point available, Tivoli Gardens will be in for a hard time.

Second-placed Harbour View will be rooting for Portmore United, but they also have a fight on their hands in the form of Arnett Gardens.

The ‘Junglists’ has been finding form and are unbeaten in their last seven games, but the ‘Stars of the East’ seem to have their ticket. In their two previous meetings, Harbour View have registered 2-0 and 1-0 wins and should be confident of completing the hat-trick of wins.

Third-placed Waterhouse (47) and fourth-placed Boys’ Town (45) should provide another interesting clash at Collie Smith Drive.

Both teams share 1-0 wins in the first two rounds and will be seeking bragging rights although they are set to meet again in the fourth round.

At the UWI Bowl, August Town, who occupy one the two relegation spots in 11th place with 34 points, host a Humble Lions outfit two places and two points higher.

Both teams won promotion to the DPL this season, but August Town should be bubbling with confidence after defeating the Clarendon team twice.

Today’s games:

3:30 pm Portmore vs Tivoli @ Ferdie Neita

3:30 pm Boys’ Town vs Waterhouse @ Collie Smith

3:30 pm Arnett vs Harbour View @ Spaulding Complex

3:30 pm St Georges vs Village @ Lynch Park

3:30 pm Rivoli vs Sporting @ Prison Oval

3:30 pm August Town vs Humble Lions @ UWI