Champions Boulevard need to get past the most feared team of all if they are to become the first club in 28 years to win the FA Cup three straight years.

And for the second consecutive year North Village will have to battle the Second Division leaders at this same stage of the competition, after yesterday's draw at the BFA offices produced four mouth-watering ties for February 15.

The clashes between Boulevard and league leaders Vasco and Village and Wolves seem certain to generate most of the interest, but Devonshire Colts against Dandy Town and Southampton Rangers against Devonshire Cougars also present intriguing match-ups.

Boulevard are looking to become the first team since Somerset Trojans in the late 1960s to win the cup for three successive years.

That feat was also achieved before Somerset by both PHC and Social Club. But the name dominating the competition in the '90s is that of Boulevard who have lifted the trophy four times in the last seven years.

Boulevard's assistant coach Gary Mallory was present yesterday as Vasco and Boulevard were the last teams pulled out of the box. He thinks his team will be up for the challenge at PHC Stadium.

"All the teams left are good and you have to meet them anyway, so we don't have a problem with that,'' Mallory said afterwards.

"When you come to this round, no matter who you get they are all good teams.

To win it we have to get past good teams. They (Vasco) stand in our way for the next couple of trophies.'' Mallory admitted his preferred opponents for the April final were Dandy Town whom he was even more relieved to avoid in the draw.

"...As long as we don't meet Town before the final,'' he said. "The fans have yet to see a Boulevard-Town final, though no disrespect to the rest of the teams.'' Boulevard beat PHC in a replay in 1991 to win the cup for the first time and they followed up with wins two, three and four by beating Devonshire Colts in '93 and Southampton Rangers and Wolves in '96 and '97. Victory over Vasco would install them as firm favourites for triumph number five.

Town coach Mark Trott appeared happy with the draw which pitted his side against Devonshire Colts.

Trott held his own draw at home on Sunday night and came up with the same match-ups, the only differences being Town were at home to Colts and Boulevard home to Vasco.

"I think the draw was a good draw for all the teams,'' said Trott. "It's pretty interesting with the match-ups where you have Wolves being at this stage again and playing Village and us playing Colts which is perrenially a very good match whenever the teams play.'' Trott was relieved not to have drawn Wolves who beat Vasco last season on their way to the final.

Village, who went out to Hotels at this same stage last season, have to contend with Second Division leaders again.

"Sometimes when you play a team like Wolves at this stage they know it's another round to go and they can give it all they've got,'' said Trott.

"Their youthful exhuberance leads you to be wary of them because they will go into the match without any fear...if they lose it's no big thing and if they win then it's a big scalp.'' Added Trott: "From that point of view sometimes it's also more difficult getting your team pumped up to play a team of that calibre. Plus a team like Wolves present a lot of different problems because you don't play them every week and you don't know who is going to turn it on for them on the day.

"With a lot of First Division clubs we know each other, there are no surprises and you know which guys are game breakers. At this stage you are playing the best teams that are left.

"On form you have eight teams who are playing well. Cougars are coming to light and Rangers are playing tremendous and have a good unbeaten record going, so you can't underestimate anybody.'' Vasco, Colts and Boulevard all have a chance at the end-of-season double as they are also in the semi-finals of the Friendship Trophy competition, the draw for which was also made yesterday.

Vasco will meet Colts on February 19 at Devonshire Rec, while Boulevard take on Hotels in the second semi-final on February 25.

In the Shield, the hopes for a Wolves-Hamilton Parish final were dashed when those two teams were matched for the February 25 clash.

The other semi-final will be an east end affair between St. David's and St.

George's on February 19.

GARY MALLORY -- confident his Boulevard team can advance to the semi-finals.