Brendon Minors, the Dandy Town Hornets captain, has been ruled out of his team’s Premier Division match with Flanagan’s Onions at Goose Gosling Field this weekend.

The centre half limped off with a hamstring injury during the 2-1 defeat by Somerset Trojans at St John’s Field last weekend and will miss Sunday’s match against Onions, who also find themselves in the hunt for the title.

Hornets will also be without defender Jah-Quille Stowe, who was sent off against Trojans for violent conduct.

Although Town have lost two of their past three fixtures, Wayne Campbell, the Western Stars Sports Club president, believes that it is too early to start panicking.

He is confident the Dudley Eve Trophy holders can rebound from their slump and get their bid for a ninth Premier Division championship, and second in three seasons, back on track.

“The league is wide open and looks likely to go down to the wire, so for us it is still too soon to start pressing the panic button,” Campbell said. “There has not been one particular dominant team, which I think shows that teams are getting a lot closer.”

Only one point separates leaders Somerset Trojans from Town in second place. North Village Rams and Flanagan’s Onions are a further two points off the pace with Devonshire Cougars, the defending, also still in the hunt.

“This has probably been the first time it has been this close in at least ten years or so because usually by now someone is in the driver’s seat,” Campbell said. “The league has been close all season and not just at the top, but also at the bottom end.”

At one stage of the season, Hornets led the league by as many as four points but have been plagued by inconsistency.

“[The championship] has been in our hands and we should be in a comfortable position,” Campbell said. “But I’m backing the team to break out of this slump.”

After Sunday’s clash with Flanagan’s, Hornets, who are already through to the FA Cup semi-finals, play lowly Southampton Rangers and St David’s away before finishing their league season at home against Cougars.

“There are several teams fighting for the league and whoever wants it most will take hold of it,” Campbell said.

With the Dudley Eve Trophy already in the cabinet, Town remain on course for a treble and Campbell says inning another Premier Division championship would be a fitting way to mark the team’s 40th anniversary this year.

“It would be special to win the league and any other trophy that we can during our 40th anniversary.