Buoyed by their First Division Champions Cup success, Devonshire Colts are now looking to close the gap on league frontrunners Ireland Rangers.

Colts, currently on 19 points from nine matches in the first half of the season, are three adrift of Rangers who opted not to play in the Yuletide cup competition to remain focused and healthy for their league assault. The latter have sparkled with a 7-1-1 record thus far and must fancy their chances.

However, Colts ? the only unbeaten side the First Division with five wins and four draws ? plan to give the West End club a run for their money ? and for the title.

?The league is a priority. We?ve got three points to close on Ireland Rangers and that?s our priority now,? declared veteran Colts defender and captain Shannon Burgess.

Speaking in the aftermath of Sunday?s 1-0 victory in the inaugural Champions Cup over St. George?s Colts at White Hill Field, he said ?we think we have a good chance of winning (the league) and we?re going for it?.

The cup triumph capped a unique treble for the Devonshire club who were also the first winners of the former Christmas competition ? the Dudley Eve tournament in 1978-79 ? and the Martonmere Cup in 1972-73.

While obviously pleased to defeat their namesakes from the East and clinch the $2,000 top prize, Burgess was the first to admit it wasn?t pretty football.

?We didn?t play as well as we played in the previous Champions Cup games. I think we never settled down. I?m not sure if it was the size of the pitch,? said the skipper.

?We?re not used to playing on a big field so our movement off the ball wasn?t what it needed to be to try and expose them at the back.

?But, as far as our players fighting for the 90 minutes and matching our opponents? intensity, we did that and we knew we would have a good chance to win if we did that.?

In the second half, St. George?s threw all but the kitchen sink at their city rivals but to no avail as the experienced Burgess marshalled his troops to good defensive effect.

?I don?t know if it was a coaching decision for them to come down our left side but we were kind of weak on the left in the last 20 minutes and they looked to expose that. I think our defenders did well to cover. It was a lot of area to cover.?

Meanwhile, half-time substitute Ryan Nesbitt, who was yearning to get off the bench, was thrilled to push the ball past St. George?s diving goalkeeper Freddie Hall in the 56th minute for the dull match?s lone goal.

?It was really good to contribute to my team. I?m happy to be back and playing in Bermuda. I was itching to come on and contribute to a good team effort and I?m glad we got the result we needed,? said the 21-year-old who is at university in Canada.

Losing captain David Signor called the final ?a long struggle? in which they ?fought hard?.

?We didn?t come out with the result we wanted but at least we played half decent. There?s still big things to come for the season,? said Signor whose team pocketed $1,000 for the runner-up spot.

?We definitely struggled in this match but we made it to the final and we have not been in a final in a long time so it felt good and we still got a few dollars out of it.?