The Premier Division title race could be decided with games to spare such has been the dominance of perennial challengers Dandy Town Hornets this season.

Town opened up a nine-point lead after thrashing Devonshire Colts 8-3 last weekend, with veteran Damon Ming scoring the first hat-trick of his career in the team’s biggest win of the campaign.

The second half of the season starts on Sunday when Town meet second-place Robin Hood at St John’s Field.

And with their next two games against North Village, fifth, and PHC Zebras, third, Town could be running away with the title by the time they face Boulevard, Hamilton Parish and Devonshire Colts in their final three matches in March.

Hood have never won the league and Sunday’s match will have extra significance as Town could extend their lead into double digits ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup first round at home to Village.

Town have collected 25 points from a maximum 27 after nine league games, scoring 36 goals. Defensively they have been solid, too, conceding just eight, still less than a goal a game despite leaking three against Colts last weekend.

There is little sign of them slowing down either, with Jomar Wilkinson, the coach, calling his team’s performances so far “a good start.”

Village have another tricky fixture on Sunday when they host PHC. Only two points separate the teams in third and fifth but with Town so far ahead, the interest could shift to the relegation battle where four teams are in the mix, separated by just five points. Bottom team Devonshire Cougars host seventh-placed Southampton Rangers tonight at Devonshire Recreation Club at 9pm.

Rangers were thrashed 6-0 by Boulevard in their last match before Christmas, having lost 5-2 to Village the previous week, so it is fair to assume confidence will not be high in the camp.

Cougars will hope to capitalise and victory would lift them off the bottom going into the weekend’s fixtures when Hamilton Parish, second-from-bottom, are away to Devonshire Colts and Somerset Trojans host Boulevard.

A win for Boulevard would pull them ahead of Trojans and drag the new Friendship Trophy winners and defending league champions into the relegation fight.

Results have been just as unpredictable in the First Division where three teams are tied for first place.

It could have been four on Tuesday night but Young Men’s Social Club, the former leaders, missed the chance to join Somerset Eagles, Flanagan’s Onions and St David’s on 17 points after slumping to an astonishing 8-5 defeat away to BAA.

Wolves and Paget, two teams not involved in the promotion race, meet in tonight’s opening encounter at Devonshire Recreation Club at 7pm.

Tomorrow night, Flanagan’s Onions play St George’s at Goose Gosling Field at 9pm. St George’s are a point behind the joint leaders.

On Sunday, St David’s face BAA at Lord’s, X-roads are at home to Social Club, while Somerset Eagles are at home to Ireland Rangers.