Vasco hit championship form to overpower Colts at White Hill Field yesterday, but their coach John Rebello conceded it probably came too late to lay claim to a third successive league title.

Midfielder Keenan Burchall opened the scoring for the visitors after just two minutes and despite a Colts equaliser from Aljame Zuill, Vasco opened up a two-goal advantage by the interval thanks to further strikes by Keith Jennings and Kuma Smith.

Dwight Basden capped an excellent display of forward play with Vasco's fourth midway through the second half, though Kuma Smith blotted his copybook by getting himself sent off in the 77th minute for a second bookable offence.

Vasco leap-frogged Colts in the table and now trail leaders PHC by six points.

"I think realistically, the title is PHC's and Village's to lose, but if they can't do the job, then maybe someone else will be able to sneak in,'' said Rebello.

"To be honest, we are not even focused on the title, we are still more concerned about the bottom end of the table.

"We are playing every game trying to open up space between ourselves and the bottom three, so we don't get pulled into the dogfight to stay up in the last two or three games.'' Having lost to Colts in the league, the Charity Cup and the Dudley Eve Trophy this season, Rebello said his players had gone out determined to settle a score.

"The last time we beat Colts they felt it was a meaningless match, so we felt we had to show them this time,'' said Rebello. "But the guys knew the importance of the three points and that's what they were focused on.'' A Colts victory would have put them within four points of the top of the table, but their hopes nosedived inside two minutes when Burchall slotted in the opener after being found by Jennings.

But 10 minutes later, Colts were level after Ricky Saltus's left-footed inswinging corner evaded everyone in the crowded penalty area except Zuill, who stooped to head in his 16th goal of the season.

For a while, Colts took the upper hand and Zuill went close to his second after he outpaced Derek Stapley on the left wing and shot inches wide from a narrow angle.

The turning point for Vasco came when they broke away to retake the lead in the 31st minute.

Vasco find their form From Page 25 Colts gave the ball away in midfield, allowing Clifford Roberts to pass to Jennings in space on the left flank. He had a clear run at goal and although his first shot was saved by Colts keeper Kevin Bean, Jennings squeezed the rebound into the net.

Bean spread himself to deny Basden from close range after fine work by Clay Smith, before Kuma Smith claimed the goal of the day three minutes before the interval.

A corner was half-cleared as far as Smith, who lashed a rocket of a right-footed shot into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Basden grabbed the fourth in the 67th minute, when he latched onto a pass from substitute Jamel Smith, cut inside from the left and shot low past Bean. The striker had run himself into the ground and was taken off fatigued five minutes later.

It could have been even better for Vasco, but Bean made two excellent saves in a minute from Jennings and substitute Damian Mendoza and Jennings had a goal ruled out for offside.

Colts' best efforts in the second half were shots just over the bar by substitutes Marvin Belboda and Wayne Henry and Zuill shot wide from 10 yards.

Kuma Smith left referee Stuart Crockwell with little option but to produce a red card after a pointless late challenge when he already had a caution to his name.

Colts: K.Bean, Jermel Belboda, S.Burgess, N.Samuels, J.Simmons, J.Samuels, R.Douglas (K.Hollis 80 mins), T.Smith, J.Aberdeen (W.Henry 62 mins), A.Zuill, R.Saltus (M.Belboda 53 mins).

Vasco: T.Figureido, D.Sharrieff, C.Roberts, K.Burchall, D.Stapley, K.Smith, Jermaine Belbolda, K.Jennings, C.Anderson (J.Smith 62 mins), D.Basden (D.Mendoza 72 mins), C.Smith.

Men of the match: Nathan Samuels (Colts); Dwight Basden (Vasco).

Red card: K.Smith (Vasco).

Yellow cards: K.Hollis, J.Simmons (Colts); D.Stapley, J.Smith (Vasco).

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