Defending league champions North Village capitalised on Boulevard?s draw with Somerset Trojans 24 hours earlier to narrow the gap at the top of the table.

Village outscored Hornets during an all-out attacking affair at Bernard Park yesterday to serve notice they do not intend to relinquish their title without a fight.

And with only four rounds of league matches remaining in the 2006-07 season, Village find themselves breathing right down the neck of leaders Blazers ? a mere two points off the pace.

?It?s (championship) going to go down to the wire,? commented Village assistant coach Maceo Dill after watching his team chalk up their fifth league win of the season.

?And from this point nobody can afford to slip up.?

Dill?s assistant Dwayne (Steaker) Adams, added: ?It?s now just a matter of being consistent from this point onwards.?

Village captain Ralph Bean jr netted a fine brace to take his overall season tally to 11, while additional strikes from midfielder Tafari Outerbridge and an Ernest Signor own goal put the match just beyond a spirited Town ? who refused to roll over and play dead despite trailing for the entire match.

Jared Peniston and Lloyd Holder both replied for Hornets with superb headed efforts against the run of play.

With a severe crosswind swooping across the grounds, it wasn?t surprising to see both teams taking time to adjust to the adverse conditions. But once Village finally settled down, Town quickly found themselves on the defensive.

Giving his team every ounce of himself, Village full-back Jamaul Boyles threaded a partial clearance to an unmarked Ralph Bean jr whose finishing was equally as superb.

With Village fans on their toes, Bean calmly side-stepped the onrushing Cymande Davis and slotted the ball into the empty net.

And just minutes after having a penalty shout for a handball in the box fall on deaf ears, Davis was again picking the ball out of his own net after Outerbridge redirected Robert Wilson?s well-flighted free-kick across the goal line.

At that point things began to look very ugly for Hornets as the prospect of a massacre seemed real.

But to their credit Hornets kept chiselling away and were rewarded for their perseverance when Peniston stooped inside the box to head home a Michael Parson?s rebound after debutant Jahron Dickinson supplied a perfect cross from the left side.

Village then withstood a late barrage from Hornets ? who finished the half off strongly ? to take their one-goal advantage into the dressing room at the break.

Town?s plans of making further inroads, however, were derailed three-minutes into the second half when Vernon Tankard?s cross was helped across the line by Ernest Signor. And things began to appear even more bleak for the St.John?s Road side when Ralph Bean headed home Keishen Bean?s cross in the middle to make it 4-1.

Bean has now scored five-goals in two outings to lead the Premier Division goal charts.

But for the second time in the match Town fought gallantly off the ropes and struck back with a superbly executed header from Holder to revive Hornets? hopes.

On as a late substitute for McLee Smith, Lashun Dill?s first touch of the ball provided Holder with excellent service in the box. And the former Devonshire Colts striker rose above the Reds? defence and placed his header in the top-left corner of goal.

Heys Wolfe then followed up with a sweetly-struck volley that was spectacularly saved by Village player-coach Adams in goal as Hornets continued to attack in droves.

But in the end Hornets? late revival ultimately fell short as Village defended well over the closing minutes to prevent their hosts from adding to their tally.

Village now take on fellow league title contenders Trojans in their next league match scheduled to be held next month at Somerset Cricket Club.

: D.Adams, J.Boyles, R.Spence (D.Hunt, 85 mins), R.Wilson,K.Dill, Kai.Dill, R.Bean Jr (capt),T.Outerbridge, V.Tankard, K.Bean, D.Degraff: C.Davis (capt), E.Signor,D.Zuill, Michael Parsons (T.Russell, 49 mins) J.Peniston, Seyuom Tuzo, J.Dickinson (H.Wolfe, 50 mins), M.Smith (L.Dill,75 mins), L.Holder.: D.Hunt (Paget); J.Boyles (Trojans)Kai.Dill (Village); J.Peniston (Town).: Lyndon Raynor