DEFENDING champion and leaders Tivoli Gardens will have their credentials severely tested when they travel to fourth-placed Boys’ Town at Collie Smith Drive today.

Tivoli, on 31 points, have won just once this round and face their highest-ranked opponent in Boys’ Town, who are just five behind and closing.

The Red Brigade are the only team to have defeated Tivoli this season and a repeat of that October 4 2-0 result will see that gap reduced to two points.

The Andrew Price-coached Boys’ Town rebounded from their 0-1 defeat against Portmore United on November 29 to score the only win of the 16th round — a 2-1 win over Humble Lions.

Based on their second-round form, Boys’ Town should lose today’s game if the trend continues with a defeat after a win. On November 15, they defeated Village 1-0, then lost 0-1 to Harbour View; defeated Rivoli United 1-0, lost 0-1 to Portmore United, then beat Humble Lions 1-0.

Captain Michael Campbell, George Vernal, Peter Keyes, Xavean Virgo, Damion Benjamin and Wayne Ellis will hope to reverse that trend.

Tivoli will have to do without captain and six-goal topscorer Navion Boyd, who was red-carded last Sunday against Sporting Central.

Owen Powell, with five goals, along with Keammar Daley, with three, will have to step up to the plate and deliver for the leaders.

National striker Roland Dean (four goals), who has been recovering from a thigh injury, could see some action, and along with Jameel Thompson, Jerry Walters, Christopher Jackson and veterans Steve green and Kasai Hinds, could secure win number five for Tivoli on the road.

Meanwhile, second-placed Harbour View, on 30 points, face a tricky test against a Portmore United outfit wobbling in sixth spot on 20 points and eager to make up ground.

In their first encounter on October 4, Harbour View won 1-0 courtesy of a Rafeik Thomas strike, but will have to improve on their last performance if they want to repeat that win.

Last Sunday, it took a 90th-minute goal from Monthrose Phinn to earn them a point against bottom team August Town, and the Donovan Hayles-coached unit has it all to do.

Portmore, sitting 11 points off the leaders, have been showing inconsistent form and are really struggling to score goals.

In 16 games they have scored only 10 time, the same as August Town, who have the lowest in the league.

Portmore’s top scorers Gary McIntosh (3), Roen Nelson (2) and Steven Morrissey (1) are struggling to find the back of the net.

Whatever the problems are in the Portmore camp, that is expected to change soon and the Portmore title charge could start today against Harbour View.

Third-placed St Georges (30) has the easiest chance to regain top spot if the leaders falter when they travel to eighth-placed Sporting (17) at Brancourt.

Portland-based St Georges, well marshalled by national defender Jermaine Taylor, has the meanest defence in the business, conceding only seven goals from 16 games and will prove hard to beat.

Sporting, playing at home, have not turned their Clarendon-based venue into a fortress as yet, having won only two times from eight matches while losing three times. However, they are a talented bunch and cannot be taken lightly.

At the Anthony Spaulding Sports Complex, seventh-placed Arnett Gardens, on 19 points, will try to cool the red hot Waterhouse on 24 points.

The Geoffrey Maxwell-coach outfit is the hottest at the moment, winning three of five games in the second round to bring themselves with striking distance of the leaders.

Today’s schedule:

3:00pm Boys’ Town vs Tivoli @ Collie Smith

3:00pm Sporting vs St Georges @ Brancourt

3:00 pm August Town vs Village @ UWI

6:00pm Arnett Gardens vs Waterhouse @ Spaulding Complex

6:00pm Rivoli vs Humble Lions @ Prison Oval

7:30pm Portmore vs Harbour View @ Ferdie Neita