(Colts win 4-3 on penalties) After twice being postponed by rain, the Charity Cup final failed to provide a spark to the start of the soccer season.

Midfielder Vic Ball Jr. converted the deciding penalty kick to given Devonshire Colts a victory over Boulevard before a large crowd at BAA on Saturday night.

Colts coach Vic Ball Sr. was among the many who raced onto the field to congratulate his son after the goal saw them break the 3-3 deadlock in the shootout.

But much of the Colts' jubilation could be attributed to their great relief on a night when they battled relentlessly in a match that saw both teams labour to reach any extended high standard of play.

In sharp contrast to the celebrations of Colts, Boulevard quietly assembled at another side of the field with grief more than anything else expressed on their faces. And coach Herbie Bascome's words of consolation had to be words to the effect that things will get better because the team cannot play any worse.

With scheming Andrew Bascome rejoining them after a few seasons with St.

David's, Boulevard were hoping to dominate the midfield. But on this night they needed more than his tantalising passing because their main troubles were in defence, which often played with desperation when under pressure, and up front, where Stevie Wade and Rodney Bascome were seldom able to bother a defence marshalled by Colts skipper and centreback Shannon Burgess.

Up front Colts depended on Ray Jones, whose obvious lack of fitness suggested that he will not hold down that position much longer, and Keishon Smith, whose lively pace and many other skills always drew the full attention of the defence.

With the support of their midfielders Colts were able to get the best of the exchanges during the first 20 minutes. But it was Colts midfielder Sekai Waldron who awoke the crowd first, doing so after 23 minutes when his thunderous drive from 20 yards sailed inches wide of the post.

Boulevard took the lead when midfielder Albert Caisey, who normally plays at left fullback, took a neat pass from his replacement in that position, newcomer Gregg Foggo, and blasted home a right-footed shot from 22 yards -- an extraordinary hard hit ball from a left-footed player.

Tafari Outerbridge put a shot over for Boulevard after play re-started, but Colts fought their way back in contention with Jones forcing the centreback to clear his shot off the goal line after 54 minutes while striker Keishon Smith always threatened with his burst and shooting down the right flank.

Smith sent a sizzling 16-yarder into the chest of goalkeeper Mitchell Steede after 58 minutes, but Boulevard's defence held firm even while their midfield and attack struggled.

With time running out Colts applied intense pressure and got the reward for perseverance when a curling corner by substitute Keimon Lawrence after 87 minutes went into the goal with the help of Steede -- an equaliser called an own goal by referee Lyndon Raynor.

Steede, who was to later become the scapegoat when he also missed a penalty, showed great agility when he made two point-blank saves during the last three minutes when Colts went on a rampage in Boulevard's goal area. During that period Tito Smith, Jermel Belboda and Keishon Smith all came close to rapping it up for Colts.

Charity Cup rules called for play to go straight into penalty kicks after regulation time. Shannon Burgess, Jermel Belboda, Keimon Lawrence and Ball scored for Colts while Otis Steede, Rodney Bascome and Foggo netted for Boulevard.

In the preceding women's Charity Cup match, Rude Girls scored a convincing 7-1 victory over Wolves.

But the favourites were rocked from the very beginning when Raneika Bean put Wolves ahead 1-0 after just two minutes. However the setback only brought the best out of Rude Girls. Chevonne Furbert scored with a first-half equaliser to level the score at the half and fired two more in the second half. Additional goals came from Sakena Clarke, Sharon Washington and Waynesha Bean (2).