The story of Waterford's remarkable debut season in the Superleague turns a significant chapter tomorrow evening as they travel to play their main rivals and reigning champions, Star of the Sea, in Belfast.

With Waterford having suffered only three defeats in their 12 matches so far and Star having lost five of their 20 games, the importance of tomorrow's fixture cannot be understated so delicately balanced is the duel between the two clubs for the title.

For Star it is particularly crucial. Should they win tomorrow, the title race will be wide open, but if they lose, then Waterford will have to falter badly over their last seven games to miss out on winning the league in only their second season playing at national level.

"We've had to pinch ourselves quite a few times to believe that we are in this position," said Waterford coach Michael Evans yesterday. "Really now it's a matter of keeping our feet on the ground and taking as much pressure off ourselves and even if we lose tomorrow, we won't be throwing in the towel," he added. Evans believes that Star are still favourites to win the league and while the mathematics of the table at present might indicate otherwise, he has a point.

Given the "backs-to-the-wall" nature of tomorrow evening's game at the Maysfield Centre, Star will be highly motivated to win on their home court. Should they do so, it will open up a significant avenue of hope to them because they will have registered two wins over Waterford on the two occasions they have met in the campaign.

That means that should the two sides finish level on points at the end of the season next month, then Star would retain the championship on countback.

Another factor in Star's favour is that while they have only six games to play over the concluding five weeks of the schedule, Waterford have a cluttered programme of eight matches in that period, including away fixtures against St Vincent's and Notre Dame, and a home one against Blue Demons along with tomorrow's daunting game.

On the credit side, though, for Waterford, is the fact that they can afford to lose at least one of their remaining fixtures and if they win tomorrow, they could conceivably lose twice on the run-in and still be sure of being champions.

Although this is a double duty weekend for Waterford, they have the comfort of knowing that their opposition on Sunday, Tolka Rovers, have a weakened squad with only one American, while they are currently stuck in last place in the table without a victory in 1999. It is a game that Waterford should win with ease but also one they cannot take for granted. Star are also in action again on Sunday when they play host to Limerick, who have very real ambitions of finishing in the top eight at the end of the campaign, which would qualify them for a place in the post-season national championship.

In the other big game of the weekend, Neptune host Blue Demons in the Cork derby tonight. Demons have beaten their neighbours twice this season but Neptune will be strengthened by a new signing, Mark Robinson, a 6ft 5in American, who has played with distinction in the British national league, where he has earned selection for their All -Star team.

The player-of-the-month awards for January went to Eric Blair of Waterford, who averaged 30 points per game in that period, and to Sharon Kelly, whose scoring and rebounding was such a feature of Tolka's cup and league successes over Wildcats.

On a tragic note, the death has occurred of Irish junior international Paula O'Neill, formerly a star of the Mercy Convent, Skibbereen, team in a road accident.