One of two teams who have never won the FA Cup will move within one match of achieving that goal in April after yesterday's semi-final draw at the BFA office pitted St. George's against Devonshire Cougars and cup holders Vasco against PHC Zebras.

Three of the four teams remaining in the competition have at least been in a final, the odd team out being St. George's who are in the semi-finals for the first time in 26 years.

Twice they appeared in the semi-finals in the late 1960s, both times losing to then league champions Somerset, 8-0 in 1968, as Randy Horton and Clyde Best scored seven of the goals between them and then 4-1 the following year before Somerset went on to beat Second Division team Southampton Rangers 6-0 in the final.

Now only Devonshire Cougars stand between them and a first appearance in the final after the draw confirmed the two teams for a March 5 meeting at a venue to be determined. Champions Vasco meet PHC in the first semi-final on February 12, also at a so far undetermined venue.

Cougars have been a revelation in the last couple of months and on current form should be confident of a second appearance in the final, having last appeared in 1979 when they lost 4-0 to Somerset.

"It didn't make a difference who we got, every team is capable and if they're there they must have done something right,'' St. George's coach Neil Paynter said yesterday upon hearing the draw.

St. George's lost to Cougars in the league earlier this season and will get the chance to avenge that loss. "I don't know how my players feel but personally that should give them more incentive. Being they beat us earlier this year we should be looking to try to reverse the result this time.'' Paynter, sidelined this year because of injury, has appeared in an FA Cup final himself, with Dandy Town in 1991-92 which they lost to PHC. He recalls it being a memorable occasion despite the result.

"It's very hard to describe, but it was a great atmosphere,'' said the coach.

All eyes will be on the Vasco-PHC clash who, between them have won the cup 12 times with the Zebras being the most successful team in the competition's history with nine victories from 17 final appearances.

Like Paynter, Vasco coach John Rebello had no preference in the draw, knowing that his team must beat two of the three teams if they are to retain the title they won last year.

"Lately we've been beating up on St. George's so that could have been a jinx team,'' said Rebello. "At this stage of the game it doesn't matter who you get.

"I guess you could look at Cougars and say `I didn't want Cougars because they're riding a high now' or St. George's might be getting things together now and then you look at PHC and their front line, so every team has got something that would make you not want to play against them.'' This year's semi-final will be minus two of the favourites, Somerset and Dandy Town, who bowed out on Sunday in the quarter-finals. That leaves Vasco as the favourites as on paper they have the strongest of the four teams.

"On paper and what really happens are two different things,'' Rebello cautions. "On paper we can compete with anybody and I think our chances are favourable.

"No one has won the FA more times than PHC and they are going to be like Somerset (on Sunday). I think it's going to be a hard game.

"All season nobody has been predictable. From the FA to the Friendship to the league, it's up for grabs for a number of teams.'' The Bermuda Under-23 team will compete in a four-team tournament in Orlando, Florida from January 28 to February 4 as preparation for the Pan Am Games in March continues.

It is part of their reciprocal tour plans they set up with the US when they visited here last year. The teams involved are the US Pan Am team, the US Under-21 team and a team from German league, Bayern Leverkusen.

EARL RICHARDSON -- For the second straight year his goal gave Vasco victory in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.