North Village and Dandy Town, who began this season as the undeniable favourites to scoop major honours, enter the final Sunday of the first half facing a must-win situation to reach the Dudley Eve Trophy.

In a season that has produced no dominant team so far, six clubs go into tomorrow's round of matches with realistic hopes of qualifying among the top four.

Only two points separate PHC, the league leaders, from Devonshire Cougars, who are fourth, while cup holders Village are poised precariously in fifth place, with league champions Town sixth.

Village, whose emergence from a five-game losing streak was highlighted by a 3-2 win away to Wolves, will be without the services of coach Scott Morton, who is off the Island. Maceo Dill, his assistant, will take charge of the squad who face a side that has endured similar frustrations.

Town's slim chances of qualifying rest with victory over Village coupled with a Wolves defeat of Devonshire Cougars that overturns a deficit of six in the goal differential column.

In other matches with Dudley Eve Trophy implications PHC entertain third-placed Devonshire Colts, who recently lost the services of forward Aljame Zuill through injury, at Somerset Cricket Club, while Wolves host Cougars at BAA field, in a rematch of the FA Cup second-round fixture.

Wolves coach Dennis Brown said that he anticipates another good match against Cougars and, although they will be without the suspended Chae Simmons, Mark Ray and Jamel Warren are back in training and available for selection.

"Last weekend's result has no bearing on what has to occur come Sunday," Brown said. "We have to go back out there with an even greater intensity than we displayed during the previous encounter."

Cougars, the Martonmere Cup champions, are also in the thick of it and cannot afford to duplicate their last performance if they are to avoid dropping out of the top four, at the expense of either Village or Town. But a shaky defence that repeatedly exposed Ricardo Brangman in the early stages will again be minus the injured Galvin Butterfield (hamstring) and Shawn Smith (knee).

"To qualify would obviously be a blessing, but if we fail then we would welcome the rest over the holiday in preparation for the second half of the season, which is more significant," said Albert Smith, the Cougars coach. "Last weekend, we didn't come to play but come Sunday it will be a different story."

At Wellington Oval, St. George's get set to welcome Somerset Trojans in a match featuring the bottom two clubs. St. George's will be hoping that their recent win, albeit over Commercial League opposition in the FA Cup, can prove a motivating factor as they face a Somerset team reeling from cup defeat and the loss of two players, Richard Scott and Marvin Belboda, to suspensions this week.

The match of the day in the First Division will see Boulevard, the leaders, travelling to White Hill field to face Somerset Eagles, who similarly boast a perfect league record.

Southampton Rangers should secure their first win of the season under new coach Ronue Cann when they host Prospect while, farther west at Malabar field, Ireland Rangers host Paget. Hamilton Parish will take on Young Men's Social Club at St. David's Oval in the remaining match.