Devonshire Cougars came within a missed penalty of grabbing a famous draw against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Sports Centre last night.

Head coach Kwame Steede saw his second half spot kick well saved by Trinidad goalkeeper Andre Marcham, and then blasted the rebound over the bar from six yards out with the keeper still lying on the floor.

Defeat was tough on last season's Premier Division champions who dominated their international opponents in the second half, putting in the kind of performance that bodes well for their forthcoming Concacaf Champions League campaign in March.

And it was especially tough on Steede, a second half substitute, who turned his side around following a first half in which they took a shock lead, only to then concede three goals in the space of 12 minutes.

For the visiting team, Daniel Cyrus produced his second outstanding performance in two games, and at times was the only thing standing between his team and a Cougars equaliser.

Time and again Cyrus stopped a Cougars attack in its tracks, and twice blocked shots that were going in. He cleared one of the line to deny Aljame Zuill just before half time, and threw his body in the way of a Steede effort moments after the returning head coach had missed his penalty.

In contrast the rest of the Soca Warriors were slightly less impressive, and aside from the 12 minutes in which they scored three times, rarely threatened Cougars.

The Premier Division side actually scored first, and the nature of the goal summed up a rather scrappy opening in which both teams struggled to find their rhythm.

Cougars midfielder Sean Brangman slipped as he attempted to play the ball forward, and ended up sending a curling 30-yard effort past Marcham.

The Trinidad goalkeeper may well have been expected to get to the less than powerful shot, but the swirling wind that blew across the ground last night caught the ball and took it away from him.

It wasn't the last time the elements would play a part in a goal.

By that time Cougars should already have been a man down. Zuill caught Cyrus twice with nasty two-footed lunges that merited at least a yellow card, and he was eventually booked following his third challenge which might have earned him an early bath in its own right.

Trinidad were behind for a mere nine minutes, and their equaliser was a poor one for Cougars to concede.

Having failed to clear a hopeful ball into the box, the Cougars defenders then struggled to close down Jean Luc Rochford, and though goalkeeper Clyde Darrell pulled off a fine one-handed save, he could do nothing to stop Jamal Clarance poking home the rebound.

Trinidad's second was equally as poor, with defender Nicholas Walker outjumping Kijuan Franks to head home from a corner. And when Trent Lougheed smashed the ball past Darrell from the edge of the area for his side's third, it looked like being a long night for the Bermuda team.

Rochford nearly added a fourth moments after the break, and then Steede was introduced into the action, and the game changed.

The coach's arrival gave his side a better shape, and added a link between defence and attack that had been lacking in the first half.

Even so, Cougar's second was down in no small part to the wind which carried a hopeful long ball out of their defence, over the head of Walker, and straight into the path of Korvon Tucker who finished in style.

The goal fired Cougars up, and had the opposite effect on the visitors, who struggled to get any real control thereafter.

Jovien Jones went from hero to villain in the space of 30 seconds for Trinidad moments later. Throwing his body in the way of a goal-bound shot, he then handled the ball from the resulting corner and conceded a penalty.

Steede stepped up, hit it right, saw it saved, and then fired over the rebound.

The game then lost most of its shape and rhythm after that as both sides made regular substitutions.

Trinidad might have added a fourth, but were denied twice by Darrell, including a flying save from a well struck Cyrus free kick.

Cougars pilled forward as the game drew to a close, and even threw Franks into attack, but all to no avail.

The ball just wouldn't fall for the Premier Division side, who ran themselves to a standstill in a brave attempt to find an equaliser.

Devonshire Cougars: C Darrell, J Butterfield (L Tota, 80), K Franks, I Mallory, J Seymour, K-V Tucker (T Woodley, 80), Moses Steede (K Steede, 50), T Steede (L Simmons, 61), K Goddard (S Pearman, 73), A Zuill (Mark Steede, 66), S Brangman (D Coddington, 34). Booked Seymour, Zuill.

Trinidad & Tobago: A Marcham, A Adams (J Jones, 44), C Gonzales, S Bateau (J Morris, 46), N Walker, P Leston (M Williams, 90), JL Rochford (S Campbell, 72), T Lougheed (M Jospeh, 75), D Cyrus, M Lewis, J Clarance (J Britto, 62). Booked Cyrus, Gonzales, Campbell.

Referee: G O'Brien

Man of the match: D Cyrus