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EASTERN'S wingless wonders continued their march towards a second successive league title thanks to Dale Tempest's 19th goal of the season at Mongkok Stadium last night.

 Missing injured wingers Lee Kin-wo and Ross Greer, Eastern were restricted in their attacking options and, as a result, chances were few and far between.

 But a well-organised defence and the lively form of midfielder Tam Siu-wai kept the ''Green Machine'' ticking over with their 12th win in 13 outings.

 Eastern now have 36 points, nine clear of second-placed Instant-Dict, and have only five matches to negotiate to retain the league championship.

 Tempest struck in the 43rd minute of the game, guiding a glancing header into the Voicelink net from Tam's right-wing corner.

 Voicelink, who remain one point clear of the relegation zone, will have an early chance to avenge the narrow defeat because the two sides meet again on Thursday, March 17, in the quarter-finals of the Viceroy Cup.

 Said Eastern team manager Peter Leung: ''We have almost two weeks to prepare for our next match and I am confident Greer and Lee will be fully fit by then.

 ''I am very happy with the three points because our two wingers are very important members of the team. To win without either of them is a good team effort and now we have a nine-point lead going into the Viceroy Cup.

 ''Our next league game is against Happy Valley on March 24 and if we can win that one the title is ours.''  Due to injuries and suspension, Voicelink were able to field only two overseas players in central defender Glenn Humphries and midfielder Carlton Fairweather and the rest of the squad lacked the experience of Eastern's local players.

 Voicelink came close to an equaliser, however, in the 89th minute but a spectacular left-foot volley from Hong Kong international striker Wong Chi-keung smacked against the angle of post and crossbar.

 Captain and right-winger Lee pulled a hamstring against Sing Tao on February 17 and Greer joined him on the sidelines after straining a calf muscle against Kui Tan last Sunday. This forced Eastern coach Chan Hung-ping to play Lo Kai-wah on the right flankand Cheung Kam-wa on the left, stretching their first-team squad to the limit.

 Tempest had come close to scoring just before his goal. When Tony Sealy crossed from the left, Tempest met the ball on the volley at the far post but Voicelink's former Michelotti 'keeper, Chan Hing-wing, blocked the striker's close-range shot.

 Tam, hinting at a return to the impish form in which he began the campaign, swung over the flag-kick and Tempest stole half a yard on his marker, Humphries, to head home.

 His season's tally of 19 is seven clear of his rivals and he is on course to beat his previous best for a season of 24 - when he played for South China in 1989-90.

 His former South China teammate, Tim Bredbury, was the biggest threat to the Eastern defence last night.

 In the 70th minute, Lee Fuk-wing almost got on the end of Bredbury's low cross from the left but the chance was smothered by Eastern 'keeper Iain Hesford. A couple of minutes later, Bredbury thought he was in the clear, only for Tim O'Shea to take the ball off his toe-end with a perfectly timed challenge.

 Voicelink (4-5-1): Chan Hing-wing; Lee Wai-wo, Leung Shing-kit, Glenn Humphries, Lee Fuk-wing; Leung Kam-fai, Lau Po-wah, Szeto Man-chun (Poon Man-tik, 75), Carlton Fairweather, Wong Chi-keung; Tim Bredbury.

 Eastern (5-4-1): Iain Hesford; Chiu Chun-ming, Tim O'Shea, Wong Kwok-on, Chan Chi-keung, Lee Wai-man; Lo Kai-wah, Tam Siu-wai, Tony Sealy (Check Po-hong, 67), Cheung Kam-wa; Dale Tempest.

Man of the Match Tam Siu-wai (Eastern) 



Injury-hit Eastern stay on course for crown