Just as the rain spat and sputtered before unleashing its full fury upon the grounds at PHC Stadium on Saturday night, so too did Vasco toy prior to laying waste to opponents Devonshire Colts.

Flashy forward Corey Hill emerged as the chief antagonist, creating the first opportunity for team-mate Sinclair Gibbons and then scoring himself to hammer a final nail in Colts' coffin.

On a dreary evening when the featured contest did little to enlighten the surroundings, Vasco flickered just a little longer than their rivals, none more so than Hill.

However, the opening moments threatened an opposite scenario as a shuffled visiting line-up came out looking sharp and hungry, belying their position at the foot of the First Division standings.

After watching a suspect defence cause losses against Somerset Eagles and St.

George's Colts in two of their first three matches, coach Vic Ball instituted several changes.

The key moves had Keenan Burchall replacing Dean Smith at right back and Jahmah Samuels moving from midfield to centre back in place of Makonnen Hollis, with veteran Jay Bean inserted into the midfield alongside Mark Ray and young Damon Ming.

The formula appeared just the tonic as Vasco were pinned on their heels early, with goalkeeper Tim Figureido forced to advance at the feet of a rampaging Ellington Weldon in the fourth minute when Ray provided a defence splitting pass.

Nevertheless, its effectiveness soon wore off and it was Colts' 'keeper Randy Darrell who felt the backlash as Vasco began pummelling he and the rest of his team-mates.

Darrell first produced a fine diving stop of an Irving Burgess piledriver in the 10th minute and a minute later he likewise had to be alert to turn away a near post effort from Hill following a loping run along the right flank.

However, it was only a matter of time before a fatal blow was struck.

That moment came in the 13th minute. Flashing down the right flank, Hill shackled defender Jomal Jones and calmly laid on a perfect pass for an onrushing Gibbons to strike the sweetest shot beneath the body of a lunging Darrell.

Stung by the score Colts almost levelled matters as a close range Craig Smith free kick eluded the defensive wall but not the safe hands of Figureido.

Still it was the home team who pulled the strings as Hill again created excitement in the 23rd minute, combining up the middle with Steval Arorash and pulling the trigger, only to watch his effort escape the left corner.

As the rain fell so did the quality of play in the second half, but remaining the same was the all out domination by the Portuguese club.

A perfectly executed set piece confirmed the only possible outcome as Hill finally placed his name on the scoresheet in the 65th minute. A free kick deep on the left side was curled toward the far post by Earl Richardson and with the defence ball-watching Hill darted inside the area, forcing the ball over the line off the body of Darrell.

Thunder and lightning would ultimately send spectators scurrying from the park and eventually cause the malfunction of an electrical transformer which resulted in partial black-out of the park, but this was not enough to save Colts as referee Leroy Wilson blew the final whistle.

Vasco thus maintained their position at the top of the standings with 10 points, while Colts likewise confirmed their status at the foot, with one from four matches.

Vasco: T.Figureido; D.Stapley, S.Smith, K.Jennings, E.Richardson; S.Arorash, S.Gibbons, K.Roberts; I.Burgess (B.Kirkpatrick 76 mins), D.Basden, C.Hill Devonshire Colts: R.Darrell; K.Burchall, S.Burgess, J.Samuels, J.Jones; J.Bean, D.Ming, M.Ray; E.Weldon (V.Ball 83 mins), S.Phillips (C.Anderson 68 mins), C.Smith Referee: Leroy Wilson Men of the match: Corey Hill (Vasco), Mark Ray (Devonshire)