Boulevard and Somerset Trojans are set to meet each other for the fifth time this season tonight at the Den for the right to advance to the 2006-07 Friendship Trophy Final.

In four meetings against each other the two Premier Division title contenders have managed two wins apiece, Trojans winning the last meeting on December 30 to advance to a first Dudley Eve final since the 1994-95 season.

Blazers have come undone at the seams since losing the services of key players Stanton Lewis (injury) and Melchisedec Gibbons (suspension), and have dropped five points in their last two league outings to allow Trojans and defending league champions North Village to close the gap at the top of the standings.

And after watching his team struggle to take a point off bottom dwellers Paget over the weekend, Blazers coach John Rebello publicly criticised his team’s younger members who he claimed “are not just up to the challenge at the moment”.

“We could blame injuries and suspensions but at the end of the day there is enough talent in our team to get the job done,” Rebello said.

Blazers will have to put aside their league issues and concentrate instead on tonight’s meeting with a Trojans side who are fast rediscovering the formula to winning cup titles.

And Boulevard may have to do battle tonight without skipper Shaki Crockwell.

Crockwell, who made his debut with the senior national football team in Trinidad and Tobago earlier this month, limped off with a sore ankle during Sunday’s home match with Paget.

Should he be unavailable for tonight’s clash, former Dandy Town forward Wolde Place — who came on for the injured Crockwell to score Blazers’ equaliser against Lions — could get the nod to make his first start in a Boulevard jersey since transferring to the club.

Trojans, meanwhile, will enter tonight’s clash well rested having not kicked a ball competitively since thrashing Paget 5-1 on January 14.

The West Enders sat idle over the weekend after having their home league match with Devonshire Cougars pushed back to February 25 because of work at their ground to remove floodlight poles.

Trojans, who have won the Friendship Trophy on eight occasions, last triumphed in the competition in 1988-89, while Boulevard’s sole victory was in 1984-85.

The winner of tonight’s semi-final will meet Devonshire Cougars at the National Sports Centre on March 25 in the final.

Meanwhile, tonight’s Friendship match will be preceded by the First Division Shield semi-final between Devonshire Colts and Ireland Rangers.

Colts will enter the game full of confidence following Sunday’s 2-0 home win over Rangers at Police Field. But the men in orange may find their work cut out for them against a Rangers side keen on avenging their recent loss, and also keeping their First Division league and cup ‘double hopes intact.

The winner of tonight’s Shield semi-final will meet the eventual winners of the first semi-final between Southampton Rangers and Somerset Eagles that will be replayed at BAA Field on January 30.

Rangers won the first contest on penalties. However, Bermuda Football Association ordered a replay after ruling that the referee had contravened regulations governing the competition by not taking the game into extra-time.