after BAA Wanderers' defeat and Lobster Pot's draw enabled the pub side to move from third to first on Saturday with a 5-2 victory over Fire Service.

And being top of the table means that Hood will end the year in the same position they finished last season as the teams will now take a break for Christmas and the New Year before resuming on January 8.

Hood are a point ahead of Lobster Pot and two in front of Wanderers.

"Top of the league going into the millenium, I love it,'' said a happy Hood president Paul Harris. "We're going to have T-shirts made!'' Hood and Fire Service played to a 1-1 draw in the opening match of the season and it was close again at 2-2 in the second half before Hood broke the game open with three late unanswered goals.

Fire took the lead in the 11th minute through Theron Smith before Simon Turner equalised in the 36th minute to make it 1-1 at the half.

Paul Towlson then shot Hood ahead 2-1 only to see Fire gifted a second goal when Derek Scott scored past his own 'keeper.

Towlson, again, Michael Harvey and Alan Mooney then netted the late goals as Hood ran out comfortable winners to reclaim the league lead.

They have the steadily improving MR Onions to thank, though, as Onions handed BAA Wanderers their second straight loss.

Andy Robinson scored the game's only goal in the 29th minute to avenge their 3-2 season opening defeat.

Onions lost their first five matches and were sitting on the bottom of the table in mid-November. However, they have turned their fortunes around with four wins in their last five matches to climb to sixth in the table.

Lobster Pot hold onto second place, but missed out on the top spot when they could only manage a scoreless draw with North Village Rams. It was the same scoreline as the opening day fixture between the two teams.

The match between PHC Raiders and Exiles was postponed.

The top three teams in the B Division all won, with leaders St. George's All-Stars handing Somerset Extros a 5-2 defeat, Tuff Dogs hammering Devonshire Lions 6-2 and Devonshire All-Stars winning by default over Wolves who did not have a team.

Extros came from behind to lead St. George's 2-1 at the half through two Dwaine Richardson goals after Cal Rayner had opened the scoring. Further goals in the second half by Milton Jones, Jan Cieters, Charles Wade and Dale Thompson wrapped up an impressive victory for the East Enders.

Joe Carolo scored a hat-trick and Nathan Browne two as Tuff Dogs proved too strong for Devonshire Lions. Robert Margues got the other Tuff Dogs goal while Germaine Burt and Kevin Hodgson replied for Lions.