Their unbeaten record gone, Vasco should still hold onto the top spot in the Coca Cola First Division as the battle for Dudley Eve places continues this weekend.

Vasco meet fourth-placed Somerset Trojans at PHC Stadium in the top match tomorrow knowing that their opponents will be looking to follow in the footsteps of St. George's who handed the Portuguese club their first loss of the season in the Friendship Trophy on Tuesday night.

However, Vasco will be all the more determined not to lose again, knowing the teams behind them can quickly close the gap.

Presently Vasco have a three-point lead over second-placed Southampton Rangers who face a tough away match to North Village who are just a point behind them in third spot.

A healthy competition for places is developing in this Vasco team now that veterans Paul Towlson and Voorhees Astwood have come out for the first time this season. Both came on as subs against St. George's, with Towlson scoring his first goal of the season within minutes of his arrival.

Kentoine Jennings is also eligible for selection this weekend after serving a one-game suspension while Steven Arorash could be back in the Vasco squad against his former team.

With the leaders meeting the fourth-placed team and second playing third, St.

George's in fifth have one of the easier matches when they take on second-from bottom Somerset Eagles at Wellington Oval.

Eagles have lost four matches on the trot after a season-opening win over Devonshire Colts and already they are looking certainties for one of the two relegation spots.

However, in the past St. George's have struggled against teams near the bottom of the standings -- Devonshire Cougars and BAA being good examples last year -- so they will need to play with the same determination they displayed on Tuesday if they are to make a strong push for a first appearance in the Dudley Eve competition.

Eagles must realise they can't afford to drop more points as their goal difference is already the worst in the First Division, having conceded 14 goals already in just five games. And the Eagles defence can expect a tough time tomorrow against the likes of Clay Smith, Dean Minors and Jerry Laws.

The remaining two matches involve four other teams desperate to kick-start their season. Mid-table Dandy Town and defending champions Boulevard have both lost just once in the league but have only one win between them to boast about.

Boulevard have possibly their best chance to land their first win when they meet bottom team Devonshire Colts at St. David's. However, not even that is certain as Colts held Dandy Town to a scoreless draw last weekend.

Colts, also, are still seeking their first win.

Town take on PHC at St. John's Field in the remaining match.

The Hornets have been one of the major disappointments so far this season as their strike force of Carlos Smith and Darron Simons has failed to produce the goods.

The Zebras have a young team led by the experienced Sheridan (Baldy) Ming and Frank Ming and on current form they could be good enough for a point.

In the Second Division, the top match will be at Devonshire Rec. where Devonshire Cougars meet former leaders Wolves.

Wolves have been fading lately after winning their first three matches while Cougars have gone from strength to strength and remain the only unbeaten team in the division.

Third-placed Hamilton Parish meet struggling Social Club at Wellington Oval while the other matches see Paget taking on St. David's at Southampton Oval and Prospect meeting BAA at Police Field. It is their second meeting in five days with BAA winning a Shield encounter on penalty kicks in midweek.

Today's Commercial Division match between Belco and St. George's All-Stars has been switched to Wellington Oval starting at 1 p.m.

Paul Towlson