Eastern poised for championship party

TEARAWAY league leaders Eastern have the champagne on ice and expect the final whistle in tonight's game with British Forces to signal the start of their title celebrations.

Eastern can clinch the Hongkong First Division crown for the first time since 1956 by securing a firmly anticipated victory against the relegation-doomed soldiers at Mongkok Stadium.

The team of the year, Eastern had their championship party put on hold when their match with Ernest Borel last week was postponed because of a waterlogged pitch, but are now confident of a landslide victory to settle the issue with a flourish.

The Camelpaint Senior Shield champions have notched up 11 goals and conceded none in two previous meetings with Forces. Eastern team manager Peter Leung is convinced their 6-0 league thrashing of the bottom team and a 5-0 Viceroy Cup first-round drubbing gives Forces no chance of creating a sensational upset.

A win tonight would give Eastern an unassailable 10-point lead over nearest challengers, Instant-Dict, who have three games left.

''The title is already in our hands. I'm convinced of it. It's a bit of an anti-climax for us because we were all geared up to play Ernest Borel. At least we know that we don't have to wait any more,'' said Leung.

Eastern will be without captain Lee Kin-wo after the long-haired winger injured an ankle during the territory's first World Cup warm-up match against Kuwait which ended in a 2-2 draw in Singapore last week.