Devonshire Cougars blew the Premier Division title race wide open at Somerset Cricket Club last night.

Super strikes from Kwame Steede and Dominique Williams either side of half-time were enough to give Cougars a much-needed win and keep Trojans in the thick of the fight for first place.

Steede, the Cougars centre back, opened the scoring with a smashing volley from a set piece right on the stroke of half-time, while Williams’ 40-yard rocket extended the visitors’ lead early in the second half.

Adolphus Lambert, the Trojans full back, threw the hosts a life line when he scored deep in stoppage time.

However, there would be no way back for Trojans as Cougars held on to claim maximum points and deny their hosts the chance to go seven points clear at the top of the Premier Division.

Cougars thoroughly deserved their victory as they were a cut above a disjointed Trojans in every department and bossed most of a physical encounter.

The visitors beat their hosts to the first and second ball, executed excellent ball movement and link up play in the attacking third, and, apart from a goalkeeping blunder at the death, defended flawlessly.

“I was very pleased with the performance, we were spoilers tonight,” Andrew Bascome, the Cougars coach, said. “I just wasn’t too happy with the last five minutes with all that experience I have at the back there seems to be a bit of uncertainty. But otherwise it was a good performance.

“I thought the first goal was very creative and it was nice to see the players get together and come up with something. And of course the second goal was a beautiful blast from 40 yards and that’s the second goal he’s [Williams] scored like that.”

Cougars’ seventh league victory of the season moved them into fifth place, level on points with fourth placed PHC Zebras, while Trojans saw their lead at the summit remain at four points.

The visitors showed their intent immediately from the opening kick-off, Chamari Burns, the Cougars forward, blazing a shot just over the bar from distance.

Cougars striker Raymond Beach chiselled out space for himself in the box but lifted his effort over the bar while team-mate Jasekani Furbert-Wade blasted Williams’ cross over the bar after Lambert was dispossessed deep in his own half.

Beach squandered another glorious chance from inside the box when he failed to connect cleanly with Williams’ pull back in the middle.

After absorbing waves of pressure Trojans eventually came alive and began creating chances for themselves. Alton Trott, the midfielder, unleashed a rasping shot with the wind at his back that took a deflection away from goal.

But just when it seemed that the pendulum had swung Trojans way the hosts were struck by a double whammy which forced them on the back foot.

First, Trae Harvey, the Trojans midfielder, limped off hurt in the 31st minute and was replaced by Vashun Blanchette. Steede then added insult to injury when he broke the deadlock with a goal from a well executed set piece. Trojans committed a foul deep in their half, Darius Cox, the Cougars full back, scooped the ball over the wall where Steede smashed the ball one time into the far corner with Shaquille Bean, the Trojans goalkeeper, well beaten for pace and placement.

Trojans should have equalised moments later, but Malachi Jones, the Trojans forward, headed wide when scoring seemed easier.

Cougars picked up where they left off in the second half and extended their lead with Williams beating Bean from 40-yards with a wind assisted shot that drifted into the roof of the net.

The goal clearly knocked the wind out of Trojans sails but they soldiered on in search of way back in the match, and went close when Trott forced Kisohi Trott, the Cougars goalkeeper, to make a rare save.

Lambert scored late to set up a nervous finish after Trott fumbled what should have been an easy interception and Lambert poked the loose ball across the line from close range.

However, any thoughts Trojans might have had of salvaging something from the match were dashed as Cougars tightened up at the back to make the points safe.