Howard Walker, Staff Reporter

HARBOUR VIEW opened up an eight-point lead atop the Wray and Nephew National Premier League with a comfortable 2-0 win over Boys' Town at Collie Smith Drive yesterday. Goals by captain Donald Stewart in the 20th and Fabian Taylor in the 58th earned Harbour View their 18th win of the season and moved them on to 61 points.

Stewart tapped home after a Jermaine Hue free kick hit the back of a defender and fell nicely for him while Taylor effortlessly scored a free kick that more looked like a penalty kick to seal the win.

With nearest rivals Portmore United and Reno both slipping up, Harbour View might just have secured the title with five rounds remaining.

Portmore, who drew 2-2 with Tivoli Gardens, inched up to 53 points while Reno's loss left them on 49 points and effectively out of the race.

Winning coach Lenworth Hyde Sr. was quiet happy for the win under windy conditions but the result was more important at this time of the season.

Said Hyde Sr.: "Our aim was to get an early goal and we did that but the windy conditions prevented us from playing our passing game. Boys' Town played a spirited game seeing that they went 120 minutes the other day. "We didn't dominate like we should, but it is the final part of the season and legs are going so we have to know how to rotate the players," he said.

Boys' Town, coming off a penalty shoot-out loss to Portmore in the Red Stripe Champion Cup final on Sunday, once again fought hard but succumbed to their ninth loss of the season.

The Red Brigade remain in eighth position on 33 points and coach Andrew Price thought his team gave away two soft goals and the game.

"We gave up a soft goal from a set play and everybody had their backs turned arguing and Stewart turned and fired the ball," said Price. "We are giving up too many soft goals and against quality teams like Harbour View you have to make them work for their goals. "We looked a little bit jaded from the game we played on Sunday but we have to continue fighting and we want to see how many points we can accumulate from those games."

Harbour View, who have Seba, Naggo Head, Village, Wadadah and Reno to play, look in good stead and should not be denied this season.

Feedback: howard.walker@gleanerjm.com

Harbour View 2

(Donald Stewart 20th, Fabian Taylor 58th

Boys' Town 0