Devonshire Cougars 2 North Village 0

Goals in either half by Jomeko Mallory and JaWonda Smith give Devonshire Cougars victory at Devonshire Recreation Club yesterday.

Both goalkeepers were called upon to make saves within minutes of kick-off.

North Village were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. Shayne Hollis played a give-and-go to Pierre Smith but shot tamely at Cougars goalkeeper Ricardo Brangman.

A shot by Cashun Brangman then took a deflection off a Village defender, sending goalkeeper Tajh Bell the wrong way, but he was able to recover to make a save.

Cougars scored two minutes later when Moses Steede floated a corner into the penalty area which found the head of Mallory, who coolly tucked the ball into Bell’s left-hand corner.

Steede was then set loose on a quickly taken free kick before hitting a hard, low cross into a crowded penalty area which went untouched across the goalmouth. Midway through the half, Village nearly scored when a miscommunication between goalkeeper Brangman and two defenders, Zeko and Zekiro White, resulting in the goalkeeper’s weak punch landing at the feet of Keishen Bean.

Bean hit a one-time shot but Zekiro White was able to retreat and clear the ball of the goalline.

The second half started in a steady downpour of rain, causing passes and crosses to slide off the slippery surface outpacing the intended receivers from both teams.

Early in the second half, Cougars thought they had scored a second from a free kick but Mallory was well offside.

Within minutes of coming on the field, Demitre Daniels hit a shot that forced Brangman to make a diving save. Jonathan Briers beat Brangman to the rebound but his cross was cleared to safety. Lashun Dill replaced Briers and produced threatening runs down the Village right flank.

One such run resulted in Bean glancing a header just inches over Brangman’s crossbar.

Cougars scored their second in the 74th minute when a Steede cross to the back post, found Smith whose shot went through a maze of players before resting in the back of the net. Cougars then introduced new signing Allan Douglas Jr into the game. The striker used his speed to trouble Village’s fellow Cup Match cricketer and defender Terryn Fray.

Omar Butterfield, the Cougars coach, said: “This was a decent performance. Our new signings played well. This was Allan’s first appearance and Oronde [Bascome] is improving. This was a good game despite the conditions.”

GOALSCORERS

Devonshire Cougars

Mallory 8, Smith 74

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars (4-3-3): Ricardo Brangman — Z Simmons, Zeko White, Zekiro White, J Smith — C Maybury, M Steede, O Bascome (sub: M Battersbee, 56min) — Cashun Brangman (sub: N Carmichael, 75), Lamont Brangman (sub: A Douglas, 62), J Mallory. Substitutes not used: S Jones, C Hardtman. Booked: O Bascome, Zeko White, J. Mallory, Z Simmons.

North Village (4-3-3): T Bell — J Thomas, J Davis, T Fray, A Johnston — J Briers (sub: L Dill, 71), M Thomas (sub: D Daniels, 50), T Durham, K Bean — S Hollis, P Smith. Substitutes not used: Z Hendrickson, C Caisey, K Evans. Booked: P Smith.

Referee: Garic Swainson.