Visitors Hamilton Parish enjoyed a dream start with two goals in the first nine minutes at Frog Lane only to see unbeaten Colts battle back to take both points with a 73rd-minute goal from defender Chris Wright.

Parish can be forgiven for thinking that the points were in the bag after Colts were put on the ropes with two quick goals. But like they did against Somerset in their opening Martonmere Cup game recently, the home team settled down to the task of battling back.

They were all even by the 42nd minute and from there the game could have gone either way as both teams kept in the hunt for the two points in the second half.

The man who played a significant part in the early proceedings was diminutive midfielder Walton Burgess who got himself booked in the opening seconds for ungentlemanly conduct after kicking the ball when referee Cal Simons had ordered the Colts kick-off to be retaken.

Burgess answered in the best possible way, setting up the opening goal in the second minute and then increasing the Parish lead himself in the ninth. First, Burgess was fouled by Keimon Lawrence inside the penalty box and Chris Caisey scored against his former team from the penalty spot in the second minute.

Before Colts had time to respond Parish doubled that lead when Burgess scored directly from a corner on the left, as stand-in goalkeeper Dwayne Astwood was left wondering what he had let himself in for.

Both 'keepers were kept busy as Colts, led by captain Craig Smith, gradually settled down and started to test the Parish defence. Detroy Smith kept out Smith in the 12th minute when he pushed a firm shot around the post from a free kick on the right side of the penalty box, which had been awarded after the 'keeper picked up a back-pass. Colts kept on the pressure with a right-foot shot from Smith from 25 yards that screamed over the bar and then a left-foot effort from Harrison Trott that went over the top. Colts were now doing the attacking as the Parish defence, marshalled by sweeper John Nichol, a 23-year-old Scot, absorbed the pressure.

Smith, switching to the right flank to test Caisey at full-back looked threatening not only from free kicks on the edge of the penalty area but also corners on the right side.

An inswinging corner in the 34th minute by Smith curled into the far post as the 'keeper got a touch to the ball but could not keep it out.

A Derek Wright back-pass to his keeper caused some anxiety in the Colts defence in the 39th minute when Irving Burgess collected the half-clearance and sent in a scorcher, which brought off a good reflex save from Astwood in the 39th minute.

Three minutes later the Parish lead was wiped out when some good work down the right side by full-back Keenan Burchall saw Smith collect the ball from a throw-in and then turn and hit a low curling shot past the helpless Parish 'keeper.

Colts kept up the pressure early in the second half though Parish went close themselves when Irving Burgess crossed to the far post where Sinclair Gibbons saw his downward header come off the body of Astwood.

Burgess wasted a good chance to put Parish back in front when he was sent through the middle only to blast his shot high over the bar as Astwood came off his line.

Colts surged again soon after and made Parish pay for that miss with the winner in the 73rd minute. Burchall pushed forward to win a free kick on the right side of the penalty box and when 'keeper Smith failed to hold Craig Smith's flighted cross, Wright forced the ball over the line with his header from close range.

The former St. George's 'keeper finished off a miserable day by collecting a booking two minutes from time for grabbing Craig Smith from behind outside the penalty area on the left. He only escaped a red card because Smith did not have a clear run on goal.

Devonshire Colts: D.Astwood; J.Belboda, K.Burchall, D.Wright (J.Bean, 60 mins), C.Wright; K.Smith, H.Trott, E.Weldon, C.Smith, Q.Aberdeen, K.Lawrence (M.Ray, 32 mins).

Hamilton Parish: D.Smith; Q.Outerbridge, I.Frith, J.Nichol, C.Caisey (Z.Stowe, 77 mins); W.Burgess, K.Simons, A.Wolffe (V.Burgess, 79 mins); I.Burgess, E.Lathan, S.Gibbons.

Referee: Cal Simons.

Men of the match: Craig Smith (Devonshire Colts), John Nichol (Hamilton Parish).

WINNER -- Chris Wright, at right, produced the decisive touch in Colts' comeback win yesterday.