The longest winning streak in local football was extended to nine games yesterday when BAA Wanderers beat Boulevard, the First Division leaders, for the second time in three weeks to announce themselves as serious promotion contenders.

BAA defeated Boulevard 3-1 and moved closer to the promotion spots after Devonshire Colts and Somerset Eagles — second and third in the table — drew 2-2.

Colts, who were in first place when BAA beat them 4-1 last month, missed the chance to move level with Boulevard after being held at White Hill Field, leaving BAA third and just three points behind second.

“For sure our aim is to get promoted,” said Kenny Thompson, the BAA coach, who fielded seven teenagers in his starting eleven and another four on the bench against Boulevard.

He praised his young team for the character they showed after picking up just a draw in their first five matches.

“We’ve done what we set out to do which was to remain in the promotion race,” Thompson said. “We got off to a very slow start and had to come from as many as eleven points back but credit to the players.

“It’s an amazing group of players and I’m proud to be working with this group. They worked very well through the early season disappointments and continued to train and now we’re back in the promotion race.”

BAA got off to the perfect start when Nassir Richardson broke the deadlock after just three minutes.

A well-taken second goal by LaQuan Thomas on half-time doubled the BAA lead. Boulevard were left short at the back on a BAA counter-attack as Thomas lobbed his effort over the advancing goalkeeper Deaz Chambers on the edge of the box and watched as the ball dropped inside the six-yard box and bounced into the roof of the net. Boulevard, who led fourth-place BAA by eight points going into yesterday’s match, came out battling in the second half and went close after just four minutes when TiaeVince Douglas put a volley over the crossbar.

Defender Conneko Trott kept the home team in the game when he scrambled the ball home in the 52nd minute after going forward for a free kick and converting at the far post.

A brief heavy downpour midway through the second half made conditions difficult as both teams struggled to adjust.

Ian Coke, the division’s top scorer with 17 goals, went close to adding to his tally for Boulevard in the 80th minute when he put his effort wide after beating the advancing Nathon Trott to a ball on the edge of the box.

BAA sealed the win in the 90th minute when substitute Marcus Ming met Troy Tucker’s free kick from deep and powered his header past Chambers. Ming almost added a fourth for good measure moments later but this time Chambers blocked his shot near the edge of the box.

“It was a solid and well-balanced performance today and I feel we definitely deserve the victory,” Thompson said. “Troy [Tucker] is back from school for the rest of the season and is a well-respected player, one of the best on the Island, and he’s brought a lot of experience with him.

“He’s able to help the players in their performances and it’s great to have him on board at this stage of the season. It was an accurate pass and a great finish by Marcus. We have a lot of competition for places, especially in the front line, but Marcus has been amazing in training. He came off the bench today and finished pretty much as expected based on his performances in training.”

Devonshire Colts had to settle for a draw with Somerset Eagles as Lozendro Symonds scored a late equaliser for the visiting side from the penalty spot. Symonds also opened the scoring for Colts who led 1-0 at the half before Eagles replied through Whalail Tucker and then Kanhai Fray to make it 2-1.

Wolves also missed the chance to make up ground when they could only manage a 3-3 draw with Paget at Southampton Oval. They led 1-0 at half-time after Paget had two good chances in the first ten minutes. However, Paget were deserving of a share of the points after goals by Y-Ron Astwood, Dwayne Brangman and Wolde Jones cancelled out a brace from Shacoi Daniels and a strike by Alleyne Francis for the visiting side.

In the other match, Ireland Island Rangers drew 1-1 with Young Men’s Social Club at Malabar Field. Jessie Mills scored the Rangers goal which ended 12 straight losses in the league. The point was their first since beating BAA back on November 1.

At Garrison Field, home side X Roads prevailed against St David’s.

X Roads took the lead in the 27th minute when forward Jorge Sanchez rounded Samuel Stevens, the St David’s goalkeeper, and slotted in from a tight angle.

St David’s hit back in the 43rd minute, Allan Douglas Jr firing into the low right hand corner from just outside of the penalty box after being afforded too much time and space.

The visiting team had the ball in the net early in the second half, but Fiqre Crockwell’s tap in from close range was ruled offside.

X Roads regained the lead for good in the 66th minute, Keijon Butterfield smashing a free kick from the edge of the box into the roof of the net.

The home side extended their lead two minutes later when Chris Hill beat the last defender, rounded the advancing goalkeeper and slotted into the empty net.

St David’s pulled one back through Crockwell in the 80th minute to set up an intriguing finish, but X Roads held firm.