High-flying surprise league leaders Devonshire Cougars will attempt to add Somerset Trojans their list of early season victims when the teams clash at Devonshire Rec. tonight (8.00 p.m.)

The two sides find themselves in contrasting territory with Cougars aiming to solidify their hold on first place and Trojans, cemented at the bottom of the Premier table, desperate to claw themselves out of trouble.

But Cougars veteran skipper and centreback Shawn Smith warns that it will be anything but a David and Goliath encounter.

"I know they are at the bottom of the table but we are not worried about the position of our opponents, everybody is capable of raising their standards and becoming competitive on the day," said Smith.

"We want our players to keep doing what they have been doing all season and that's play hard, keep the game as simple as possible and don't let any previous success sidetrack us."'

Cougars are on a high after having enjoyed their best start to the season in several decades.

Smith admits he can't recall Cougars ever being in first place at any time of the season let alone this early.

In addition to their fine league run, Cougars have also earned a place in the Martomere Cup final on November 11.

"Honestly speaking, I can't remember us ever being on top of the Premier League, definitely not in my lifetime. But it's a good feeling," grinned Smith following training for tonight's match.

"We are optimistic going into this game because our record against Somerset has been pretty balanced over the years. I don't exactly know what it is, but I think we have the better of them in terms of wins.

"Going into this game we are asking our players to stay focused. It's the first time we have played them all season and we don't know what to expect."

In league play to date, Cougars have earned top spot with victories over PHC, St. George's Colts and Wolves while recently triumphing over Dandy Town in the Martonmere Cup semi-finals.

Their only loss came against North Village in the league.

"It was our first defeat since the second half of last season," reminded Smith.

"Right now we are playing really well, I think it can be attributed to our best pre-season when the numbers were extraordinarily high and the enthusiasm was there from start to finish. And there was a high degree of intensity with the players having to fight for positions for the first time in many seasons.

"I am asking our fans to keep supporting us, but in saying that I am asking them to remember to give them the same support during the bad times when we come across a few speed bumps."

Cougars have improved their attack with Ray Beach, Heys Wolffe and Mark Mills prominent while Smith marshalls a defence that looks solid. Their only shortcomings are in midfield where they often appear inept, although once a fit-againWali Salaam could help in that department.

Cougars are coming off a 3-1 victory over PHC on Sunday while the Trojans will attempt to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Wolves, their second straight league defeat.