Somerset moved out of the bottom three on Saturday night with one of their best performances of the season, as second half strikes by David Burchall and Sean Simmons settled the points against weakened Devonshire Colts.

With 12 points separating fifth-placed Colts from leaders Vasco, and with five matches remaining, the champions are almost mathemetically out of the running for a second straight title.

They have picked up only one point since the Christmas break when they held down second place. It was at this stage last season that their push for the championship gained momentum. Now they are struggling to stay in the top six.

A couple of places behind Colts in the standings, seventh-placed Trojans moved another three points away from the relegation zone with their second straight victory.

There was a scare for the home team when Tito Smith had the ball in the net as early as the fourth minute. But to Somerset's relief a flag was up for offside.

Colts, missing captain Shannon Burgess in defence and Mark Ray up front, were lucky to survive in the 18th minute when both uprights denied Burchall his first goal of the season.

A long ball was played forward by defender Andrew Rahman and Shaun Riley played it into the box for Burchall whose shot hit the inside of the far post, ricoched across goal and hit the other post and then went back across goal a second time.

The closest Somerset came after that in the first half was in the 38th minute when Rahman pushed forward from left back and met a square pass on the edge of the box which he drove just past the upright.

Somerset's luck finally changed in the 53rd minute when they took a deserved lead. The move was started by Michael Brangman and when a low pass into the middle wasn't cut out by the diving Troy Hall, Burchall pounced to plant a left-footed shot into the empty net.

Keishon Smith had a shot blocked on the goal-line from a corner soon after but it was Somerset who continued to apply the pressure. Colts, with only two subs on the bench, made their first change when Keimon Lawrence replaced Tito Smith.

Minutes later Darrin Lewis came on for Sekai Waldron and it was Lewis who almost spoiled Somerset's night. With his first touch from a Jermaine Belboda free kick, Lewis' glancing header grazed the crossbar. Three minutes later his shot from 25 yards went inches over the bar.

Somerset got the message and stepped things up in the last few minutes. Four minutes from the end they were awarded a penalty when Mackonnen Hollis brought down Brangman and Simmons calmly placed his low spot kick to Hall's right to seal the win.

In the 88th minute Burchall almost made it 3-0 when he went close with a header which brought off a one-handed save from Hall.

Somerset: W.Williams; A.Rahman, S.Simmons, D.Woolridge, R.Scott, J.Scott, S.Riley, K.Roberts, A.Burchall (L.Crofton 22 mins), M.Brangman, D.Burchall.

Colts: T.Hall; Jermaine Belboda, M.Hollis, D.Wright, Jermel Belboda, V.Ball, J.Samuels, O.Butterfield, S.Waldron (D.Lewis 76 mins), T.Smith (K.Lawrence 67min), K.Smith.

Referee: Esten Curtis.

Men of the match: Michael Brangman (Somerset), Troy Hall (Colts).