Although the 2004-05 football season is far from over, early indications suggest the race for league supremacy in the Premier Division could very well go down to the wire as well as the battle to avoid relegation.

The First Division promotion race is also shaping up to be an intriguing one with only eight points wedged between second-placed team Prospect and seventh-placed Wolves heading to the Christmas break.

Defending Premier Division champions Dandy Town hold a three- point lead over PHC Zebras atop the standings in the top flight while Ireland Rangers remain six points clear of Prospect in the First Division.

While eight of the ten teams in the First Division have yet to complete the opening half of the season, their Premier Division counterparts have already reached the halfway stage with Town, Zebras, Devonshire Cougars and Boulevard currently preparing for next week?s Champions Cup Tournament to be staged over the festive break.

In Division One, Devonshire Colts, Prospect, St.George?s and St.David?s will play in the inaugural competition that replaced the former Dudley Eve Trophy.

Current First Division leaders Ireland Rangers pulled out of the competition for fear of risking injuries to an already shortened team roster over the break.

Dandy Town (5-1-1) have been by far the most consistent team in the top flight.

Despite getting off on a negative footing with a Charity Cup defeat to North Village, Hornets bounced back by reaching the Martonmere Cup final and remaining undefeated in league play until December 5.

Town have only lost three matches overall in the first half of the season ? all three defeats coming at the hands of Village who seem to have Hornets number of late.

Hornets coach Devarr Boyles and his supporting staff have done a admirable job blooding youngsters into the first team and rotating the team?s roster on a consistent basis.

Again, lanky striker Khano Smith has led Hornets attack with new captain Seyoum Tuzo content to play a more responsible role in support.

The first-half of the season has also seen the swift rise of forward Lashun Dill and Dennis Zuill while ?keeper Antoine Lightbourne continues to struggle regaining confidence between the post.

At the back, Maurice Lowe, Randy Swan, Adam Outerbridge and David Lawler have again formed an impregnable combination, only allowing six league goals against.

Up front, Town have banged in 18 league goals with Khano Smith again accounting for the bulk of the scoring.

Town veterans Carlos Smith and Lionel Furbert have also been in and out of the team for various reasons while Kevin Hurdle has so far held his end of the bargain in the absence of Khano Smith who is still out through injury.

Could history be about to repeat itself?

After clinching the 1998-99 First Division championship, Zebras (4-1-2) made history in becoming the first ever club to win the Premier Division championship the same year they returned to the top flight.

After a slow start, an October 17 league triumph over Village finally ignited a youthful Zebras side who have remained unbeaten since and presently sit in second spot in the Premier Division standings.

But Zebras did give notice they would not be any pushovers this campaign as the club only lost out by the odd goal in their only two league losses of the season so far.

Unlike Zebras squads before them, coach Mark Wade?s current crop have relied upon teamwork to get the job done instead of individualism and have done so admirably in the absence of strikers Dennis Russell and Stephen Astwood who both broke ranks at Stadium Lane at the end of last season.

Zebras squad has also been bolstered by the return of veteran schemer Kenny Mills who can still send chills down the spines of opposing defences.

After watching his charges get a good jump to the league campaign, ghosts of the past seem to have caught up with Andrew Bascome?s Cougars (4-1-2) ? right in the heart of defence.

While it is no secret Bascome is trying to impart a new gradual and deliberate passing approach to the big cats game, the veteran coach should take note that Cougars, by nature, love to pounce ? and not toy around with their prey like your average back yard tabby cat.

Bascome is, in fact, trying to do away with Cougars natural all-out attacking, get-me-before-I-get-you-approach ? and that could spell trouble as the big cats are renown for letting it all hang out.

Apart from captain Kwame Steede, Kori Goddard ? when he is not suspended ? and Domico Coddington, Cougars midfield leaves much to be desired along with the team?s defence which has already conceded 14 goals ? hardly the stuff championship teams are made of.

Still, Cougars are again in the hunt for top honours this season and, just maybe, Bascome?s approach might pay dividends at the end of the season.

That apart, in attack, Cougars are just about as good as it gets as striker Raymond Beach has bagged 14 goals in seven appearances and that number is expected to increase ? especially when trusted sidekick Heys Wolfe returns from injury in the new year.

Beach has scored in every match that he has suited up for so far and already has two hat-tricks to his credit.

Striker Aljame Zuill has fitted in nicely at his new abode while defender Omar Butterfield continues to grow in confidence playing alongside seasoned campaigner Shawn Smith.

Blazers (3-3-1) are another team still in the hunt for top honours this season ? though many feel they have still yet to arrive.

Injuries have so far plagued the urban team with captain Melchisedec Gibbons and the inspirational Meshach Wade currently out through injury. Marvin Belboda has also gone among the missing while Stanton Lewis has recently returned to the team after suffering an early season knock.

In youngsters Gregory Johnson and Angelo Simmons, Blazers possess two of the league?s most promising players for the future ? though at times the former allows inexperience and a hot head to get the better of him.

In goal Shejuan (Shabba) Swan has been a class act while sweeper Jahmarley Samuels and full-back Robert Wilson continue to come on in leaps and bounds.

Wilson was recently elevated to the senior national team and saw action for Bermuda during last month?s Digicel Cup Tournament in St.Vincent.

Up front, Raymond Burgess has provided glimpses of the good form he?s capable of producing along with deputising captain Michael Parsons and Dennis Russell.

Now Blazers will be looking to come out firing on all cylinders once football action resumes in the new year in search of a first major title since 1997-98.

Village (4-0-3) bagged two trophies (Charity and Martonmere Cups) in the first half ? just to give a kindly reminder of the form which catapulted them to back-to-back league and FA Cup success only two seasons ago.

Despite suffering three successive league defeats, Village managed to put together a four-game league win streak that has catapulted the Bernard based club back into the championship hunt ? four points adrift of leaders Hornets.

Reds captain Ralph Bean Jr. continues to lead by example from the front while midfielders Vernon Tankard, Keith Jennings, Jemeiko Jennings, Tafari Outerbridge and Kaiwon Dill have resembled a well-oiled machine in the middle.

Village recently had their ranks bolstered by the return of strikers Nakia Smith and Kevin Jennings while former Somerset Eagles ?keeper Adrian Burrows has helped ease some of the goalkeeping worries with his late arrival.

Village are also in the hunt for the remaining cup honours and it?s almost a sure bet Kentoine Jennings and the game-face crew will prove a tough nut to crack when the season resumes in January.

Trojans (2-1-4) have not enjoyed a good return to the top flight so far ? but a recent thrashing of Cougars could prove to be the motivating jolt the club so desperately seek.

On paper, Trojans have a well-balanced squad of youth and a bit of experience. But for one reason or another the West Enders have not received the desired results.

Midfielder Damon Ming is now in the UK at Barnet FC while strikers Stephen Astwood and Clevon Hill have missed matches either through suspension or injury as was also the case with Jelani Scott.

Trojans have only scored seven league goals while conceding 14 against with captain Karl Roberts often coming in for criticism.

Speedy striker Rohaan Simons has also been in and out of the team while the better years are perhaps now behind veteran frontman Dwight Basden who has struggled so far this campaign.

Eagles (1-1-5) have produced some of the most entertaining football so far this season ? only for mental lapses to prove their undoing.

After losing a few players over the off-season, that loss has been further compounded by the absence of a genuine ?keeper among Eagles ranks.

Although their lowly league standing reflects otherwise, Eagles managed to take a few of the league?s top clubs to the brink with an aggressive approach and passing game belying a club only two points off the bottom of the pile.

Having now been knocked out of the remaining cup competitions and denied what would have been a third straight appearance in the Friendship Trophy Final, Eagles will undoubtedly switch to survival-mode when league play resumes next year ? something the relegation escape artists seem to have perfected in recent years.

Rangers (0-2-5), as expected, have struggled after losing several key players at the end of last season.

Apart from a sole FA Cup win over Commercial Division team St.George?s All-Stars, Rangers have yet to win a league match while managing two draws.

Indications now suggest Rangers are already doomed to 12.30 p.m. football next season while Janeiro Tucker?s future with the club remains up in the air after the striker threatened to quit altogether after enduring a dismal 45 minutes on the pitch in a recent league match against PHC.

Tucker is said to be now concentrating solely on cricket.

Meanwhile, in the First Division, Ireland Rangers (7-1-1) have emerged as firm favourites to clinch promotion to the top flight while an interesting race has also developed involving second-placed Prospect (5-1-2), third-placed Devonshire Colts (4-4-0), fourth-placed St.George?s (2-4-1) and fifth-placed St.David?s (3-1-3).

Colts are the only remaining unbeaten First Division club.