Defending champions Portmore United must start a winning streak in order to reel in runaway leaders Harbour View, and that must begin now against Montego Bay United, if they are to have any chance of retaining their title.

Portmore United are second with 46 points, 12 adrift of Harbour View with 11 games remaining. If there are any further slip ups, they can throw in the towel.

That’s how important this match-up against a Montego Bay United team in sixth spot with 39 points has become.

With Harbour View out front on 58 points not in action until Monday against third-placed Boys’ Town on 44 points, Portmore United have the chance to reduce the deficit to single digit, for 24 hours at least.

But their match against Montego Bay United won’t be an easy one, as in two meetings to date, Portmore squeezed out a 2-1 win at Catherine Hall before playing to a 1-1 draw at Ferdie Neita Park.

Portmore United, who have the second most goals scored (37), behind Harbour View’s 42, are not short on firepower with goals spreading across the team.

The diminutive Alanzo Adlam, with five goals, is their top scorer, and he is way down the leaderboard for the Golden Boots award, but in Suelae McCalla (4), Stephen Williams (4), Adoah Nickles (3), Portmore have enough firepower to win on any given day.

Montego Bay United might not be in a position to win the league, but they have their own agenda of a top-six placing and would want to finish as high as possible.

Second spot is still a reality, hence Montego Bay will be firing on all cylinders with seven-goal top scorer Leslie St Fleur leading the charge, along with Dino Williams, Allan Ottey, Mauricio Gordon and Fabian McCarthy.

Meanwhile, fourth-placed Waterhouse, on 43 points, take on ninth-placed Sporting Central Academy, on 32 points, in a match-up of two teams fresh from impressive 4-0 wins last weekend.

On Monday night, Waterhouse, courtesy of four goals from in-form Jermaine Anderson, whipped Savannah, while Sporting Central destroyed Cavalier by the same margin.

Waterhouse are 15 points adrift of the leaders and might still harbour thoughts of winning the league. To do so they must beat Sporting if they want to keep their slim chances alive.

Sporting Central, on the other hand, are just hovering seven points over the relegation zone and must be extremely careful of not falling into the grasp of the teams below them.

Fifth-placed Arnett Gardens, on 41, host a Cavalier outfit who has them in their sights, two places behind and six points below.

Ever since reaching the Second End-of-Round final, Cavalier have gone backwards and are winless in their last five games, garnering just one point from Savannah, and have fallen out of the top six.

This is the second time that Cavalier have gone on a winless streak and will have to be at their best to hold off an exciting Arnett Gardens aggregation coming off a 1-1 draw with Portmore United.

Former champions Tivoli Gardens, lying in eighth spot on 33 points, are in a crucial battle with a Highgate United team down in 11th spot with 25 points, and one eager to climb out the relegation zone.

A loss for Tivoli Gardens could be scary for the former champions, who could fall too close to the relegation zone, as Highgate would move to within five points of them in what could be an intriguing dog fight to the end.

In another interesting match-up, bottom-placed Savannah FC, on 17 points, tackle 10th-placed Humble Lion, on 32 points, knowing they must win or prepare for Super League action in Westmoreland next season.

Today’s games

3:30 pm Savannah vs Humble Lion @ Frome Sports Complex

3:30 pm Sporting Central Academy vs Waterhouse @ Brancourt

5:00 pm Tivoli Gardens vs Highgate United @ Edward Seaga Stadium 6:00 pm Arnett Gardens vs Cavalier @ Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex

6:30 pm Montego Bay United vs Portmore United @ Catherine Hall Complex

MONDAY

9:00 pm Harbour View vs Boys’ Town @ Harbour View Mini-Stadium