or mark a new beginning for Vasco? The downtrodden defending champions against a revitalised Vasco team that is returning to the scene of a recent cup semifinal triumph.

In one corner a rising star, at the other end their tail-spinning opponents.

Epitomising the second half of woe being enjoyed by the Blazers came last weekend when they were held to a 2-2 draw by St. David's, a ghastly result indeed for a team supposedly challenging for the league title.

Adding to the misery was the fact that they had to battle from behind twice just to achieve a point.

The last seven matches has seen the Blazers winning just two matches while plummeting from the top spot in the Coca-Cola First Division to third behind leaders North Village and Dandy Town.

However, the wounds are nothing a simple victory would not heal and what could be a more ideal platform than in the FA Cup.

"We are the champions and hopefully we go into the match-up and play like the champions that we can be on the day,'' said coach Gary Mallory this week.

"Right now it's not been going our way so we are hoping a good result will put us back on even keel.

"The main problem we have been having is putting the ball into the back of the net. We've been carrying teams and it seems like we can't get over the hump, but we've got to stay patient with one another and carry on.'' Contrasting fortunes have followed Vasco, who enter on a tremendous roll, having emerged victorious in six of their last seven matches, the lone bad result a 4-0 defeat against the Island's hottest outfit Dandy Town whom they will meet in the Friendship Trophy final.

Still coach John Rebello was taking a low-key approach, showing confidence in his troops, while expressing respect for the champions.

"The team is on a high after a good victory over St. George's that put us in the Friendship final,'' Rebello said of Tuesday's night's triumph at Somerset.

"But it's important that we don't get over confident.

"Boulevard have got a good team, one of the best we have seen, on paper, and I have a lot of respect for them. But I also have a lot of confidence in my players being able to produce.'' The two sides' lone meeting this season had Boulevard take home both points with a 1-0 win under rainy and wind-swept conditions at Lord's in St. David's not conducive to constructive soccer.

Rebello intimated that his aim was to keep his team focussed and to maintain their present form, especially with them still under threat of relegation.

"We have beaten St. George's twice at Wellington Oval and again on Tuesday, but in between we were well beaten 4-0 by Dandy Town on February 5 at PHC under lights and the league result was a big setback for us, but we can look at it as a game that gave us a wake-up call.

"We have no major injuries at all, we came out of Tuesday's game fine physically. Karl Roberts has been experiencing a problem with his ankle, but he came on and played well to score the winning goal against St. George's.'' Mallory stressed that his defence would have to keep a keen eye on the Vasco strike tandem of Irving Burgess and Ricky Mallory and find ways to crack through a defence anchored by veterans Donovan Livingston and Paul Towlson.

To that end Kenny Hill stands as one of their main weapons along with Dwight Warren.

There is also the possibility of a return by forward Stevie Wade, who has been out of the Boulevard line-up for some weeks.

The winner of Sunday's match will match skills against the winner of the other semifinal on March 13 between Devonshire Colts or Dandy Town. There is a good chance of two Dandy Town-Vasco finals in the final month of the season.

A Crystal Palace Youth Cup semifinal matches Wolves against Devonshire Colts in tomorrow's opening match at 12.30 p.m.

Women's league action shifts to BAA field tonight as BAA Telecom look to extend their season-long unbeaten streak against latest challengers Rude Girls (7 p.m.) in a battle of number one aginst number two.

The night-cap (9 p.m.) features struggling Somerset Terminators against Dandy Stars.