Somerset Eagles 1

Devonshire Cougars 1

Goalkeeper Lavintz Tota sparred Devonshire Cougars' blushes with a penalty save as the defending champions only managed a draw against Somerset Eagles at Devonshire Rec. yesterday.

Tota saved a Darrin Dowling second half penalty to ensure Cougars at least took a point from the match which was played in difficult conditions on a saturated Rec. pitch.

Somerset Eagles coach Kenny Thompson praised his players for their fighting display and believed his team deserved all three points

"I think we did well overall", said Thompson.

"I was pleased with the first half but disappointed that we conceded at the end of the half when I thought we were in control of the match.

"The second half was all about who could deal with the conditions better and I felt we had good spirit in that part of the game.

"In the end we got a point but have to be disappointed that we come away with all three considering we missed a penalty."

For long parts of the match it seemed as though no one would come to grips with the state of the pitch with early exchanges ending with both sets of players slipping and sliding across the surface.

It took 30 minutes before the first real chance which fell to Tumani Steede, but he blazed wide of Eagles goalkeeper Marcel Dill's near post.

It was Eagles' Keishen Bean who broke the deadlock when he stroked home a through ball from close range to give Cougars 'keeper Tota no chance.

Cougars then had a slice of luck when Domico Coddington's long-range effort was deflected into the net on the stroke of half-time.

Referee Stephen Allen almost let the game get out of hand when a tussle for the ball between Aquino Grant and Josh Butterfield led to shoving and tempers on the verge of boiling over. But it was a penalty claim that almost proved the defining moment after Keishen Bean was bundled over in the box.

Confusion surrounded the decision after the ball had gone out of play, with Allen being summoned to his assistant who had adjudged the foul had been committed in the area.

Long-serving player Dowling stepped up and put his effort straight down the throat of Tota, who had the simple task of holding his ground and collecting the shot.

Thompson continued: "The conditions were not conducive to playing a football match, we saw that when we walked into the ground that it would be hard to play any ground ball, so we had to choose when to play the ball to feet.

"Defending and playing out of the back was hard and both sides seemed to know that any mistake would get punished.

"We managed the game well but in the end the penalty kick was the defining moment, but then again we have seen penalty misses in professional football all around the world.

"We were using this match to get back in the thick of the title race and I do not think we are completely out of it as there is still a lot of football left to play.

"We have taken four points from the defending champions this season so in the bigger picture a point away from home is satisfying."

Devonshire Cougars: L.Tota, I.Mallory, S.Brangman, Z.White, J.Butterfield, K.Goddard, M.Steede (K.Steede, 78), T.Steede, K.Tucker (S.Pearman,89), A.Zuill, D.Coddington

Substitutes not used: M.Steede, M.Doucet ,Z.White

Yellow cards: A. Zuill, J.Butterfield, M.Steede, K.Goddard

Goals: Coddington, 45

Somerset Eagles: M.Dill, A.Rocker, S.Smith, J.Bather, D.Dowling, T.Fubler, A.Lambert, D.Seymour (A.Grant,73), K.Bean, T.Davis, T.Tucker,

Substitutes not used: J.Bean, C.Medeiros

Yellow cards: A.Grant, M.Dill, K. Bean

Goals: Bean, 33

Referee: S.Allen

Man of the Match: T. Fubler (Eagles)