John Rebello's team made a great start to the new campaign, winning their first three First Division games without conceding a goal. They won a fourth, too, sweeping into a 3-0 lead against PHC before running out eventual winners 4-3.

But it was during that game things began to go slightly awry.

Five days later, Vasco, still unbeaten, visited bottom club Southampton Rangers, and lost 2-0. A break from league action didn't help as Vasco went down 3-2 to Boulevard in the Martonmere Cup Final.

And in their next match, against defending champions Devonshire Colts on Sunday, they were again staring defeat in the face when they were rescued five minutes from time by Earl Richardson's spot-kick.

Rebello admitted afterwards it was a vital point, but it wasn't enough to stop North Village, whom they meet next in a crucial clash on Sunday, nor Boulevard from overtaking them at the top of the league.

But Rebello dismisses talk of a crisis, blaming recent below-par performances on injuries, suspensions, a tiring schedule -- and a measure of over-confidence.

"I think we've a squad capable of winning the championship this year,'' he says. "I mean, we started off with 26 guys and now I'm having a nightmare putting 11 guys together.

"We had three guys suspended on Sunday. We were also missing Shawn Simons and Ascento Russell who were out injured -- these are key players up front.

"The championship is all going to boil down to who's healthy: if we're healthy we'll give it a run.'' "Not only that, but players get complacent. You hope and pray that they'll get over that complacency, but we never did.'' Bad luck might also be considered a contributor: Richardson turned the ball into the back of his own net for the first goal against Rangers, while Paul Towlson had a fantastic header ruled out against Colts.

And Dwight Basden, already one yellow card from a one-match suspension, upset Rebello's plans by getting himself sent off 14 minutes after coming on as a substitute against Rangers.

Rebello admits: "I didn't want to play him against Rangers because he had two yellow cards and I wanted to save him for the Martonmere Final.

"But it got to the point where he was saying, `Coach, I can do the job, I can do the job'. I knew he could give me the spark up front and he promised me he would keep his head.'' He didn't.

Against Colts, however, Basden seemed ready to let his soccer do the talking -- until he challenged for a ball in the air, won it cleanly and appeared to be fouled in the process. Instead, referee Richard Knights handed Basden his fourth yellow card of the season.