Devonshire Cougars celebrated their first victory of the 1994-95 season after stunning high riding North Village in this Coca Cola First Division match at Bernard Park.

A far post header by hard-working striker Clevie Campbell following a Burnell Richardson left-wing corner in the 73rd minute proved decisive.

The score punctuated a superb team effort by the boys from the Rec., who narrowly failed to earn a win in their last outing against Boulevard.

"It feels good,'' said Mark Jennings, who also got his first victory as a First Division coach. "Like I said before, it all comes down to basic fundamentals, working as a team and putting all the individual stuff aside.

"We came together as a unit, worked hard and showed a lot of heart and that's what's going to keep up here (in the First Division). We're getting there, working our way through adversity.'' Cougars' joy was Village's misery. While dominating in terms of possession -- especially in the second half - and looking every bit like scoring, the home side were unable to produce the finishing touch.

Village thus wasted a golden opportunity to move to the top of the standings, and instead dropped from second to third behind new leaders Somerset and second placed Dandy Town.

Cougars' defence, marshalled by Shawn (Snake) Smith, built an impenetrable shield at the back, fortified by the likes of Darrid Durrant, Maxwell Dill and Stephen Coddington along with goalkeeper Leon Place.

They effectively shut out Village's attacking tandem containing the league's top scorer Dennis Robinson and veteran Elliott Jennings with tight man-to-man marking mixed with occasional zone coverage.

And when the occasion happened that there was an opening for Village, the end result was usually a misplaced blast high or wide of the target.

Conversely, Cougars' shots were for the most part on the mark, but lacking the power or placement to get past an alert Carlyle Crockwell.

Phillip Clarke was robbed of a sure goal in the 33rd minute when the 'keeper advanced to bravely save at the feet of the burly striker.

And five minutes following the interval Crockwell was similarly in position to collect a goal-bound drive from Devon Brangman.

In the 64th minute Robinson glanced a header wide from six yards after Kacy Simons had crossed from the left. This was followed by a pair of glaring miscues by Jennings moments afterward, the first an attempted chip from just inside the penalty area that dipped inches over the crossbar. He then side-footed miserably wide from near the penalty spot.

Campbell made his opponents pay for their ineptness, the bulky forward climbing high above his marker and heading downward Richardson's well flighted cross through a maze of arms and legs on the goal-line.

Said coach Jennings: "We, myself and (assistant coach Vanbi) Holdipp have been working to get the ball forward to the centre-forwards from the midfield.

We have talented people up front and we're finally getting the people in midfield to distribute the ball to them and create opportunities.'' North Village: C.Crockwell; A.Simons, D.Bell, I.Romaine, K.Grant, K.Simons; C.Sabir, S.Franks (E.Simmons 76 mins), S.Dill; D.Robinson, E.Jennings Devonshire Cougars: L.Place; S.Coddington, S.Smith, D.Durrant, M.Dill; D.Russell, C.Azhar (T.Smith 72 mins), B.Richardson (J.Hewey 80 mins); C.Campbell, P.Clarke, D.Brangman Referee: Esten Curtis Men of the Match: Kacy Simons (North Village), Shawn Smith (Devonshire Cougars)