Ainsley Walters, Star Writer

IT's a matter of who will crack first as joint Digicel Premier League leaders Harbour View and Portmore United take their acts on the road tomorrow afternoon, playing relegation-zone teams Reno and Meadhaven, respectively.

Harbour View and defending champions Portmore are locked on 53 points apiece, separated only by goal difference in their last three games.

Harbour View, who lead Portmore on goal difference, edged Rivoli United 1-0 at Compound last Sunday off Lovel Palmer's last-minute penalty, whereas Portmore clobbered next-to-last Reno 3-0 at Ferdie Neita Park.

Whereas Portmore got the better of Meadhaven, 1-0 and 3-0, in their two meetings this season, Harbour View played to 1-1 and 0-0 draws with Reno.

start favourites

Although Harbour View are yet to beat Reno this season, the joint leaders are expected to get the better of the Westmoreland men, who have conceded eight unanswered goals in their last two games, losing 5-0 to Boys' Town before their 3-0 loss to Portmore.

Meanwhile, Portmore must start favourites against promoted Meadhaven, who are battling to avoid an immediate return to Super League football.

Meadhaven took advantage of prolonged Waterhouse celebrations last week as Leighton Neita struck at goalmouth in the 85th-minute to cancel Kevin Lamey's 84th minute goal in a 1-1 draw.

Meadhaven are on 24 points, 10th in the standings, three points above Reno and last-place Village locked on 21. Portmore reduced the goal difference lead Harbour View held from plus-six to plus-four, as both teams stayed seven points clear of third-place Boys' Town, who edged fifth-place St Georges 2-1 at Collie Smith Drive.

Boys' Town, third on 46 points, are also on the road, travelling to eighth-place Rivoli, hunting back-to-back wins against the Spanish Town men.

However, Rivoli had held the Red Brigade to a first-round 2-2 draw at the Prison Oval and will be looking to home advantage and striker Devon Hodges to turn back Boys' Town. The Portlanders went down fighting at Boys' Town last week and will be gunning to correct their 1-1 first-round draw with Sporting at Lynch Park in the first round.

Sporting, however, hold bragging rights, beating St Georges 2-1 at Brancourt in the first round.

Waterhouse, are at Village.

However, Waterhouse will be hell-bent on putting distance between themselves and seventh-place Arnett in addition to making up for last week's lapse.