SECOND-PLACE Boys’ Town beat Waterhouse 2-1 in yesterday’s Digicel Premier League encounter at Collie Smith Drive, and with the victory, kept alive hopes of catching leaders Tivoli Gardens.

Captain Michael Campbell opened the scoring for the home team before Waterhouse’s Weston Forrest equalised soon after. Down to 10 men in the second half, Boys’ Town netted the winner through midfielder Renae Lloyd to move up to 52 points. Waterhouse remain a distant fifth on 44.

After dominating possession on a dusty playing surface for the first half-an-hour, Boys’ Town were awarded a penalty when Akeem Thenstead was adjudged to have fouled Lloyd in the 18-yard box. Campbell did not get a clean contact with the ball, but his spot kick was still good enough to beat the outstretched palms of goalkeeper Joel Messam in the 34th minute.

Despite continuing to dominate play with incisive passes from midfield to attack, Boys’ Town conceded just five minutes later when Forrest accurately looped a header into the net from a corner kick.

Though the second half lacked the high tempo of the first, Waterhouse rode on the momentum gained from the equaliser and forced the Boys’ Town defence into hurried clearances.

Boys’ Town’s tough-tackling Daemon Benjamin was then sent off after picking up his second yellow card in the 66th minute to make the home team’s quest to keep pace with Tivoli Gardens that much harder.

Surprisingly, Waterhouse failed to make the one-man advantage count and they were burnt in the 74th minute when Lloyd crisply glanced in a header from a pin-point Xavian Virgo free kick.

In other results, Arnett Gardens clipped Portmore United 1-0 at Ferdie Neita Park, while it was 1-1 between Village United and Sporting Central Academy at Elliston Wakeland Centre.