Rangers have bigger fish to fry in top-of-the-table clash

Having battled against relegation for years, former minnows Buler Rangers could grab pole position for the first time in more than a decade if they topple league leaders South China tonight.

Despite the huge difference in season spending - Rangers' $2 million budget as opposed to South China's $8 million - second-placed Rangers are aiming to become surprise leaders after holding both title-contenders Sun Hei and Happy Valley to 2-2 draws and won four other matches against weaker teams.

Both teams have 14 points but South China have a better goal difference. 'I can't remember when was the last time we were the leaders - not in the last 10 years,' Rangers manager Philip Lee Fai-lap said ahead of tonight's clash at Mongkok. 'We won the FA Cup in the 1994-95 season, but in the league you need to play well consistently to be able to take the lead.'

Led by influential player-coach South Korean Kim Pan-Gon, who has netted four goals this season, and forward pairing Julius Akosah and Anilton Da Conceicao, Lee believes his disciplined and ambitious young squad could match the Caroliners. 'We don't considered ourselves a strong team. We rely on the counter-attack, which suits us just fine as most of our young players are members of the Asian Games squad and that counter-attack is the style of Hong Kong team.

'Our young players are ambitious as they have just graduated from the national junior team and they aim to make it to the big stage. They are more hungry for success than the big clubs' experienced players who have more or less reached their peak. Lo Kwan-yee [attacking midfielder, 18] and Man Pei-tak [defensive midfielder, 20] showed tremendous improvement over the past year. But in general we play as a team rather than counting on individuals.'

He pointed out that they spoiled South China's bid to make a clean sweep of titles last season. And the Caroliners will be aiming for revenge after that 1-0 defeat cost them the league title.