Tivoli Gardens' Dwight Heron (left) and Roland Dean (right) try to restrain goalkeeper Edsel Scott as he protests against referee Hughill Thompson's (back to camera) decision to award a penalty to Portmore United in the Wray and Nephew National Premier League match at Ferdie Neita Park yesterday. Scott was eventually yellow carded for his indiscretion in the game that ended 2-2. - Ian Allen/Staff Photographer

Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

PORTMORE UNITED'S championship hopes all but disappeared at home yesterday in a 2-2 draw with Tivoli Gardens, causing them to fall eight points behind leaders Harbour View with five games left in the race for the Wray and Nephew Premier League title.

Captain Anthony Modeste gave Portmore the lead from the penalty spot in the 34th minute, but defensive blunders handed Tivoli two goals in four minutes.

Navion Boyd netted in the 38th minute from a goalmouth melee off a corner and Sheldon Palmer was gifted an empty goal four minutes later after beating Portmore's off-side trap and a charging Shawn Sawyers to send the homesters back to their dressing room trailing 2-1 at the break.

Off-colour striker

Midfielder Wolry Wolfe came on at the restart for off-colour striker Kevin Deerr and whipped a 67th minute free kick from the edge of the box across goalie Edsel Scott and into the top corner of his far post to make it 2-2.

Wolfe got a glorious chance to make it 3-2 eight minutes from time but his powerful strike instead knocked the wind out of Scott, who was well-placed at his near post to block the midfielder's attempt.

Portmore's coach, Linval Dixon, admitted his team faces an almost impossible task to peg back raging Harbour View, who are now on 61 points after blanking Boys' Town 2-0 at Collie Smith Drive.

"It's going to be difficult as we have some tough teams," Dixon said.

"What cost us today were the early chances, which we never capitalised on," he added, no doubt referring to a ridiculously easy chance which Deerr lazily scooped over the bar from eight yards, with the score locked at 0-0 in the 29th minute.

Tivoli's Calvert Fitzgerald also acknowledged that his team, which started the day fifth on 41 points, was merely trying to end the season as high as possible in the standings.

"We have no chance of winning the league again but we wanted to beat Portmore as they have been getting the better of us," he said.

"We're now trying to see how high we can finish. Last season we had people scoring a lot of goals for us who weren't around this season," Fitzgerald added, naming Christopher Nicholas, Jermaine Johnson and Craig Stewart.

We brought in some second-tier players and they have taken a while to settle in. With a little experience, they will be far better next year, he added.

Portmore 2

Anthony Modeste 34th pen., Wolry Wolfe 67th

Tivoli Gardens 2

Navion Boyd 38th, Sheldon Palmer 42nd