Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Boys' Town's Daemion Benjamin and Sporting Central Academy's Ian Palmer (left) tussle for the ball during the goalless Cash Plus Premier League match at Collie Smith Drive Sports Complex yesterday. - Ricardo Makyn/Staff Photographer

Third-place Boys' Town failed to make any significant inroads in their pursuit of the Cash Plus Premier League top-two teams Portmore and Tivoli, after scrapping their way to a tame 0-0 draw at the Collie Smith Drive Sports Complex yesterday.

With Sporting coming off a 3-0 thrashing of Waterhouse and Boys' Town unbeaten in their last five games and keen to keep the pressure on the top two, a lively encounter could have been expected but that failed to materialise.

Dominating possession in the first half, George Vernal could have put Boys' Town ahead in the 25th minute but failed to hit the target from more than eight yards away after being supplied by Michael Campbell.

Despite showing a lot of industry in the Sporting Central defensive third, Denzil Watson had his 35th- minute shot to goal charged down by the Sporting Central defensive unit.

The visitors looked a much more competitive team in the second half and could easily have pulled ahead in the 56th minute after Boys' Town's Tafari O'Connor lost the ball to Gregory Lewis. Bearing down on goal Lewis, however, saw his shot parried wide at full stretch by Boys' Town custodian Kirk Porter.

Still on the hunt for maximum point substitute Oneil Mcdonald could have given Boys' Town just that but almost right on the goal line, headed a cross provided by Campbell across the face of goal, which, much to the annoyance of the spectators, was also too far away for Renae Lloyd who crashed in at the back post.

Opportunities

"We weren't very hungry today, especially in the final third we weren't very creative and yet still we had the opportunities to score and didn't put them away," said Boys' Town coach Andrew Price.

"In games like this, if you don't put away your chances early you allow teams to hang around and it will get harder as the game goes on," he said. Boys' Town remain third on 43 points.

Sporting Central's coach, Chris-topher Dawes, was a bit more contented with a share of the points.

"In the first half, we were contented to get possession and hope to catch them on the counter," said Dawes. "In the second half, we told them to press a bit and put them a bit more under pressure. However, a point away from home is a good result for us."

Sporting remain eightth on 32 points.

Boys' Town	0
Sporting Central	0