WITH MOST clubs having at least seven matches to play in Round Three, the additional Round Four that puts the top six in one group and the bottom six in the other could turn out to be a real lifesaver for those fighting to stave off relegation in the Cash Plus Premier League (CPPL).

The format that made this ultimate round a part of the league fixture for the first time was adopted from the Scottish League and was intended to provide a better chance for teams facing demotion to avoid the drop.

At this juncture, it appears on course to do just that, based on the competitive trend among a number of teams juggling at and near the base of the ladder.

August Town's season has turned upside down in a bad way and they are now a leading contender to fall, as they are in the bottom slot on 21 points following a terrible away loss at Village United last Sunday - one they badly needed to win as it would have moved them within a match of Village and second-from-bottom Reno, who have 27 points. Their former head coach, Hugh McCarthy, left after the previous match and that makes matters worse.

Just above that group, there are three teams in close touch - Village, Arnett Gardens and Sporting Central Academy - all locked on 29 points.

Depending on results, any among this trio could swing either way as seventh-place St Georges (33) and sixth-place Seba United (34) are in real catching distance as they are less than two wins away.

However, these two teams are also very much in the battle for a spot in the top six grouping with defending champions Harbour View (37), Boys' Town (38) and Waterhouse (39), all championship contenders, within their grasp. This group has its work cut out to win the title.

At the top of the table are Tivoli Gardens (46) and Portmore (47), who are shaping up for a ding-dong battle to the end.

Big win

Portmore, without eight top players who are on the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) development tour in Brazil with technical director Rene Simoes, signalled their intentions emphatically with another re-sounding win over Tivoli Gardens - 4-2 - at Edward Seaga Sports Complex on Sunday. Portmore had won 3-0 at Tivoli's home base.

Tivoli's chances may be hampered somewhat by the fact that they have been without head coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey for some time and, based on what the club's president, Edward Seaga, has said, may not retain his services for the remainder of the season.

Bailey has not been at the club for a while and his absence is certainly having a negative impact as their performances have been inconsistent.

Other coaching movements have made significant differences with several clubs, noticeably Village United with the return of former national star striker, Paul 'Tegat' Davis, and Arnett Gardens with the second coming of Jerome Waite.

Unbeaten streak

Village United were rock bottom in the standings and appeared certain for demotion when Davis, who had coached the team to premier league promotion, rejoined them as head coach for their December 12 home match, which they lost 1-0 to Harbour View. Then, they only had eight points. It took them a while to break into stride but in the past six matches the Trelawny team has won five times in an unbeaten streak where it has knocked off Tivoli, Waterhouse, Harbour View and Boys' Town while drawing with impressive newcomers St Georges at Lynch Park - a graveyard for visiting teams.

Arnett were second from bottom when Waite, who coached the team to three consecutive finals from which they won back-to-back titles in 2000-01 and 2001-02, returned to the helm for the continuation of a match that was tied 1-1 with St Georges with 30-odd minutes remaining. 'The Junglists' emerged 2-1 victors in that match.

In seven Premier League matches since, Arnett, who have also strengthened their team with seasoned campaigners Onandi Lowe, Fabian Davis and Oneil Robinson, are unbeaten - winning twice and drawing five times, to amass almost the same number of points they had got in their previous 17 contests.

Like Village, they are eyeing a place in the top six, but if they don't make that target, their plight of staying alive in the league will certainly be aided with additional matches among teams at the bottom of the ladder in Round Four.

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