Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

BOYS' TOWN leapt into a first-place tie atop the Cash Plus Premier League (CPPL) standings following their 0-0 draw with Portmore at the Spanish Town Prison Oval yesterday.

After three games the Red Brigade have moved to five points, sharing first place with Tivoli Gardens and defending champions Harbour View, who have the edge on goal difference. The rescheduled game, despite being lacklustre for the most part, still saw quite a few clear scoring opportunities.

Mario Swaby could have put the blue-and-white clad Portmore ahead in the 20th minute but could not get enough boot on an attempt to curl the ball wide of Boys' Town custodian Philmore Crumbie. Both teams were reduced to 10 men early in the second half, after Boys' Town's Garfield Gillespie and Portmore's Rudolf Austin were given their marching orders for instigating a scuffle between the teams.

Ferocious shot

Soon after, an alert Crumbie kept the teams even by stopping a ferocious shot from Steven Morrisey from 20 yards away. Equal in terms of possession but looking a little less dangerous in attack, Boys' Town got their opportunity to score through defender Xavian Virgo, who controlled a Jermaine Bailey pass 12 yards from goal but, off balance, he fired his attempt well over goal.

Boys' Town substitute Mark Newsome looked a valuable addition when he joined play in the 65th minute, but slipping between two defenders just inside the 18-yard area, he also saw his shot fly high over the bar.

"We really matched up with them well. When our player got a red card we had to adjust but I think we were disciplined and gave as good as we got," said Boys' Town coach Andrew Price.

"Coming here I told the team we must at least get a point, our goal is to keep pace with the leaders," he said. Portmore coach Christopher Bender, who saw new acquisition Newton Sterling injured for a second straight game, believed his team should have been sharper up front.

"We created enough chances to come out on top, but such is the nature of the game," he said.

"We knew today's game would have been a tight one but I think we had better chances to win," he said.