North Village and Dandy Town go into tonight's Martonmere Cup semi-final matches at Devonshire Rec. as favourites to book places in the November 11 final.

However, their opponents, champions Boulevard and Vasco respectively, will be hoping history can repeat itself as they also go in search of victories.

Town will take on Vasco in the 7 p.m. opener with Village and Boulevard clashing for the second time in five days.

Boulevard removed a tremendous load off their shoulders on Sunday when they beat St. George's 2-1 for their first win of the season. But they still enter the match with the Red Devils as underdogs, though as cup holders they will have plenty to play for.

There is also the matter of a 4-1 loss to Village last week that they will be anxious to avenge. "They had a 4-1 victory over us and have got it in their minds that we'll be the underdogs but we will be there for the battle,'' promised Boulevard captain Neil (Diamond) Robinson, a former Village player.

Village are also coming off a confidence-boosting victory, having handed PHC their first loss of the season which enabled them to replace the Zebras as league leaders.

These two teams also met in the semi-finals of the Martonmere Cup last season, with Boulevard winning 2-0 at Somerset on their way to winning the competition in their first appearance in the final.

If they do win it will be their first Martonmere Cup win this season, having gotten through by virtue of a scoreless draw with Somerset Trojans in their first match.

Dwight Warren and Kenny Hill scored the goals last season that beat the Red Devils and the pair will carry a major scoring responsibility again if Boulevard are to return to the final.

Neither have had much scoring success this season, Warren not having scored at all and Hill not since finding the net from the penalty spot against Dandy Town in the team's opening league match. In fact, he has collected more bookings than goals so far.

The man who could be their match winner is winger Stevie Wade, scorer of five goals in the last four matches.

The Island's top three goalscorers will all be in action tonight, as nine-goal man Dennis Robinson leads the Village attack against Boulevard while Darron Simons, scorer of six goals so far, bids to add to his tally against Vasco.

Robinson's nine goals this season have not been in vain. Everytime he has found the net the team has managed to win, including the two he netted against Boulevard last week.

The last time Vasco met Dandy Town in a cup game they came out winners -- in the FA Cup final -- and they will be determined to prove they still know how to beat a team that has not been beaten since the April final when Troy Lewis' own goal sealed the win.

The teams met on Sunday and shared the points in a 1-1 draw as, ironically, another spectacularly headed own goal, this time by Troy Durham, gave Vasco a late equaliser.

Coach Mark Trott will be back in charge of Town's team tonight, having allowed assistant coaches Anthony (Porky) Manders, Devarr Boyles and Lloyd Christopher to take the team on Sunday.

"I observed the match yesterday, the assistant coaches had the team and I felt it was most appropriate that they continued for that match because they had prepared the team through the week,'' explained Trott.

"It's a bit of a feat for a team that is in a bit in transition, having acquired a few new faces, to blend those new faces in and it is a treat to be undefeated.''