Devonshire Cougars have been among the top Dudley Eve contenders in recent years and will undoutedly be thick in the hunt for top honours again this campaign.

The Big Cats have appeared in the last three finals, a feat that is testiment to the club's high level of consistency so far in the new millennium.

Cougars lost to Dandy Town on penalties in the 2004-05 final but came storming back the very next year with victory over North Village to lift a maiden Dudley Eve title.

Cougars, though, failed last season to become the first club since PHC Zebras to win back-to-back titles in the festive competition - inaugurated in 1978-79 - when they were convincingly beaten by a fired up Somerset Trojans.

Trojans are not back to defend their crown this year, however, leaving league leaders PHC, Hornets, Village and Cougars to scrap for top honours this time around instead.

Cougars open their Dudley Eve campaign at Lords this Sunday with a tricky cup tie against a Hornets side that dumped them from the FA Cup last month, with assistant coach Gary (Tuba) Mallory cautiously optimistic his team can overcome their cross-town nemesis to avenge that defeat.

"We have worked very hard to get to this point and are hungry for success because we are running out of options," Mallory declared. "So hopefully we will have another good run in this tournament." Cougars started their season off with a bang by lifting a first Charity Cup. But a slow start to their league title defence, defeat to PHC in the Martonmere Cup final and then an early exit from the FA Cup have somewhat humbled the league champions who have only the league and Friendship Trophy left to compete for this season.

But rather than dwell on past failures Mallory is instead focusing on the immediate task at hand with hopes that an impressive showing in the Dudley Eve will catapult his team to bigger and better things when the league schedule resumes in the new year.

"We always tend to be a better team in the second half (of the season) and hopefully this tournament will uplift us. We love to play football and to be in the top four teams this time of the year and play in this competition is always an honour," he added.

"The guys, who you have to credit for sacrificing time with their families to train and play football over the Christmas holidays, always seem to be up for this tournament. Our guys just love to play football and do well in every cup competition. They love the game and know what it takes to perform and be successful."

Hornets, who defeated Cougars in an emotional 2004-05 final at White Hill Field, will also be looking to make a big statement on Sunday to prove that last month's FA Cup triumph over the Big Cats was no fluke.

"It's a double-elimination tournament. But hopefully, though, we don't have to go that route," Town coach Devarr Boyles told The Royal Gazette earlier this week.