Portmore United opened up a five-point gap atop the National Premier League (NPL) with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Arnett Gardens as Tivoli Gardens slumped to a 0-1 defeat at the hands of Harbour View.

At the Ferdie Neita Park, Ricardo Cousins struck in the 50^th minute to give Portmore United their 17th win of the campaign from 32 games. It is Portmore's biggest lead for a while with six games remaining.

The St Catherine-based outfit streaked to a five-point lead to be on 61 points while Arnett Gardens are heading in the opposite direction on 32 points, dropping one place to occupy bottom spot.

With six games remaining it must be worrying for the former champions, as the relegation battle will be a dogfight to the end.

Over at the Compound, champions harbour View dented Tivoli Gardens title bid with a close 1-0 win courtesy of a Marcelino Blackburn goal in the 67^th minute.

Tivoli Gardens, which started the day in second position on 56 points, are now five points adrift behind Portmore United and might just have conceded the title.

For Harbour View, it was sweet revenge after being knocked out of the COK All-Island Knockout competition by Tivoli Gardens a few days ago.

Harbour View, the Caribbean Club champions, moved to 47 points to be joint third but are now 14 points behind Portmore and only a miracle will see them retaining their crown with six games to go.

August Town climbed off the bottom of the table for the first time in months, with a close and exciting 1-0 win over Sporting Central Academy at the UWI Bowl.

Mitchily Waul grabbed his fifth goal of the season since moving from Harbour View on loan, in the 68^th minute for a morale-boosting win for the August Town community being ravaged by internal gang war.

They jumped one place to 11^th on 33 points ahead of Arnett Gardens but on the same amount of points with 10^th placed Reno.

Sporting Central of Clarendon, which was suffering their 12^th loss of the season, slipped two spots to eighth on 38 points.

St George's returned to winning ways at home clipping third-placed Boys' Town 1-0 at Lynch Park.  Damion Harewood with his ninth goal provide St George's with their ninth home win from 16 games.

The Portland team jumped from ninth to seventh spot on 39 points.

Boys' Town while suffering their seventh loss of the campaign remained in third spot on 47 points but are now 14 points behind the leader Portmore United with six games remaining.

Former champion Waterhouse saw their title challenge dashed after playing to a tame 0-0 draw with Village United at the Elliston Wakeland Centre.

Waterhouse have won once in their last 12 games to be on 44 points in fifth spot, 20 points behind the leader at have thrown in the towel. It now a matter of how high they can finish to salvage some pride from this season.

Village, the only unbeaten team this round, inched to 39 points to remain in sixth spot.

At Jarrett Park, St James, home team Seba United were held to a 0-0 draw by Reno of Westmoreland.

Reno remained in 10^th place on 33 points just one place above the relegation zone only because of a better head-to-head record with August Town. Seba United sits in ninth spot on 37 points and with six games remaining cannot be feeling comfortable at this time.