It was exactly one year today that Dandy Town silenced Devonshire Cougars on their home turf to replace the big cats atop the Premier Division tables to go on and clinch a second league championship in four seasons.

Hornets entered that crucial clash trailing Cougars by two points but with a game in hand against Somerset Eagles.

The rest, as they say, is now history as convincing victories over Hamilton Parish and Eagles sent the title on its way to St.John?s Road for the first time since 2001.

Now two of the league?s top contenders find themselves in a similar predicament as they prepare to lock horns tonight at the Den in a match that could go a long way towards deciding the championship, only this time around with Cougars trailing leaders Town by a sole point.

In three meetings between the two clubs this season, Town have twice emerged victorious with the big cats claiming a sole victory over their cross-town rivals during the early rounds of the inaugural Champions Cup competition last December.

Now Town coach Devarr Boyles has braced himself for what he anticipates will be another ?tight? rivalry against the big cats at the Den.

?Physically and mentally we are prepared and everyone has been talking about this match for a while so I?m anticipating a very tight game,? he said.

Even though Cougars are still without banned key players Raymond Beach and Heys Wolfe, Boyles isn?t about to take his opponents lightly.

?They have still found a way of getting the job done without some of their best players so that makes them a lot more dangerous,? he warned.

Hornets are set to welcome veteran striker Carlos Smith back in the line up. Smith sat out Hornet?s recent league outing against PHC Zebras after accumulating three yellow cards.

?We definitely look forward to having Carlos (Smith) back. But at the end of the day this is a team game,? Boyles stressed.

After tonight?s crunch match, Hornets will face off with Southampton Rangers, Boulevard and North Village while Cougars take on Boulevard, Somerset Trojans and Somerset Eagles in their remaining league fixtures of the season.

Tonight?s Premier Division clash, originally scheduled for January 23rd, was called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Devonshire Rec.