Looking embarrassingly inept up front for most of the game the Cougars conceded two goals during the last seven minutes to miss out on earning a share of this points in their home opener at Devonshire Rec. yesterday.

The defence yielded the scoring chances to the visitors after Cougars skipper Shawn Smith had limped off the pitch with a leg injury -- and the Trojans gratefully took advantage of the opportunities.

Until this breakdown in defence by the Cougars a draw seemed to be inevitable with neither team managing to take complete charge once Cougars drew level 1-1 on a goal by Paul Simmons after 60 minutes.

Fierce cross winds and sporadic rain showers ruined what had the makings of a good, competitive match. But while the conditions made it impossible to produce good, clinical soccer both teams deserved credit for the standard of play they did eventually manage to produce under the circumstances.

Despite being pinned down for most of the first half the Trojans scored first when centre-half Jermaine Burrows scrambled the ball home after the defence was unable to make a clearance following a corner by Reggie Tucker.

Cougars often advanced deep in the Trojans' domain but their shots on goal were few and far in between. Front runners Simmons, Phillip Clarke and Maxwell Dill achieved little when they reached the penalty area and were kept well in check by a somewhat meagre defence.

That remained the picture for the entire half with Cougars looking more adventurous but failing to get shots off while the Trojans pulled off a couple of isolated counter attacks that also fizzled out because of poor finishing.

The tempo of the game improved after 52 minutes when Dale Russell's shot from 16 yards was brilliantly tipped over for a corner by goalkeeper Andre Hendrickson.

Eight minutes later Cougars got the deserved equaliser when another shot from the busy midfielder Russell was palmed away by Hendrickson with the ball rolling gratefully to Simmons who stroked it home from close range.

Clarke followed this up by putting a shot from an angle close in on the right straight at Hendrickson who was able to slap it away with relative ease. Some good counter-attacking followed with Reggie Tucker forcing Fred Richardson in the Cougars goal to save a good shot from 15 yards and Russell again sending a fierce shot inches over from just outside the penalty box.

After 83 minutes, with a draw looking the most likely result, Tucker masterfully headed home a free kick taken by centrehalf Paul Place and then three minutes from time Rodney Bascome caught Cougars over attacking and was easily through on a breakaway to make it 3-1 from close range.

Devonshire Cougars: F.Richardson; K.Swan, D.Durrant, S.Smith (K.Hodgson, 80 min), C.Azhar; G.Dyer, D.Russell, W.Salaam; P.Simmons, P.Clarke, M.Dill (M.Lindsay, 64 min).

Somerset Trojans: A.Hendrickson; S.Riley, S.Roberts, J.Burrows, P.Place, C.Grant; K.Bailey, A.Bailey, R.Tucker; R.Bascome, J.Webb (R.Scott, 73 min).

Referee: Esten Curtis Men of the match: Dale Russell (Cougars); Paul Place (Trojans).