the battle for Dudley Eve spots gains momentum.

Somerset Trojans, tied on eight points with Hotels, could take over the top spot temporarily tonight when they entertain St. David's (9.00).

But while finishing in the top four by the end of the first round of league matches next month is Somerset's immediate aim, their opponents would dearly love to pick up another two points so as to keep some distance between themselves and the bottom three teams.

The Islanders picked up a valuable win against bottom team Hamilton Parish last weekend and another point or two tonight would move them into a mid-table position. Of the three teams tipped to battle for relegation, St. David's have looked the best tip to avoid the drop, and Somerset will be advised not to take them lightly.

League leaders PHC can attest to the ability of St. David's, having suffered their only league loss so far to the Islanders. Even so, Somerset's record should give them the edge, with top scorer Rodney Bascome likely to be their main threat.

Tomorrow's top match sees Devonshire Colts entertaining Hotels at Frog Lane Field. Colts presently share the lead with PHC with former leaders Hotels a point behind in fourth spot.

With Ricky Hill out with a broken wrist, Coolridge Bell will be the man Hotels will look to for goals. They'll need to perform better than they did a week ago when they lost 3-0 to PHC if they are to stay in the hunt for a Dudley Eve spot.

Colts have a number of potential match winners, with captain Craig Smith, with four goals, likely to be the biggest threat to the Hotels defence. Then there are also Ellington Weldon, Keishon Smith and Quincey Aberdeen.

Boulevard are facing the possibility of not being able to defend their Dudley Eve title. They go into their match tomorrow with leaders PHC knowing that only maximum points from their three matches against the Zebras, Hamilton Parish and Devonshire Colts will keep them in the running for a top four spot.

Boulevard are presently third from bottom, having won just once in six league matches. Their problems were compounded even further last weekend when veteran midfielder Cyril (Dago) Steede broke his leg in the loss to Somerset. Their dominant defender Wayne (Bigga) Richardson was also sent off and will be missing for the next three matches as the former league champions bid to lift themselves away from the relegation zone.

Mid-table Dandy Town and North Village battle at St. John's Field in another interesting match while St. George's and Hamilton Parish meet at Wellington Oval in a bottom of the table clash. The loser of this match will be anchored at the bottom of the standings so this is going to be a very important clash for both teams.

Social Club face their toughest Second Division match of the season when the take on leaders Vasco at PHC Stadium. Just two points separate the top three teams and Southampton's defeat to bottom team Paget last weekend shows that no team can be taken lightly.

Second place Rangers meet Somerset Eagles at Southampton Oval (3.00) while fourth and fifth placed Wolves and Devonshire Cougars tangle at Devonshire Rec. The other matches see Prospect hosting Paget at Police Field and BAA meet Port Royal at Southampton Oval.