Boulevard threatened to carve up St. George's like a trussed-up Christmas turkey yesterday.

But they left it until three minutes from time before drawing blood from opponents who were reluctant fodder for the kitchen table.

Dwight Warren spared Boulevard's blushes with the sweetest of shots from 15 yards out.

With his trusted left foot, he lashed the ball into the right-hand corner of the net, despite a despairing diving from Troy Hall.

It capped a superb day for the striker, who threw himself into the action from start to finish.

And it was no more than Boulevard deserved after another all-action display.

If control of a match counted for goals, Boulevard would have run up a cricket score.

But too often weak finishing failed to make their domination pay.

St. George's 'keeper Hall, whose handling was impressive throughout, was rarely tested.

And when he was, he seemed equal to anything Boulevard threw at him.

In a scrappy first half, St. George's players seemed to go down like nine pins as they repeatedly came off worse in 50-50 confrontations.

Jan Cieters and Greg Foggo made hopeful early forays down the left flank.

But too often they were stopped in their tracks by fitter and more physical opponents.

Centre-half Philip Bailey provided a momentary glimmer of hope for the dispirited St. George's fans with a well-struck header from a cross in the 40th minute.

But Boulevard responded immediately, with Warren pulling a shot just wide.

St. George's midfielder Steven Denbrook was soon limping off, although he briefly returned before the end of the half.

Denbrook was substituted by Sinclair Smith after the restart in a bid to put more punch into St. George's lacklustre attack.

But it was again Boulevard who were in the ascendancy, with Warren seemingly at the centre of everything.

The Boulevard striker was presented with a gilt-edged opportunity in the 65th minute from just 10 yards out.

With time to trap the ball, and direct his strike, he seemed surprised by the chance and rushed things.

For once his left foot let him down, as he swept the ball well wide of the post.

Boulevard continued to push forward as substitute Maurice Smith put a touch more bite into the attack.

In the 75th minute Smith linked up well with Warren who slotted the ball to Amon Brown.

But the defender, who made repeated surges into St. George's territory throughout the afternoon, hit his shot straight at Hall.

Ten minutes later Hall pulled off another save, this time from midfielder Cyril Steede who swivelled and shot from the edge of the area.

Hall palmed the ball away after diving at full stretch.

St. George's: T.Hall, A.Todd, E.Basden, P.Bailey, A.Richardson, J.Cieters, S.Denbrook (S.Smith, 45 mins), D.Walker, G.Foggo (D.Tyrell, 75 mins), Q.Francis, M.Outerbridge.

Boulevard: J.Gibbons, A.Brown, V.Eve, W.Richardson, K.Darrell, C.Steede, J.Boyles, S.Boyles, M.Sabeeney (M.Smith, 73 mins), D.Warren, N.Hull (W.Hollis, 85 mins).

Referee: Rex Osborne. Men of the match: Earl Basden (St. George's); Dwight Warren (Boulevard).