Vasco coach John Rebello left Sunday's two-goal FA Cup hero Meshach Wade on the bench for last night's Friendship Trophy semi-final.

But with his side struggling to make an impact in midfield after a quarter of an hour of the second half of the match at Devonshire Rec he ordered the former national team captain into action.

It was a strategy that paid off, Wade determinedly taking advanatage of one of the few oportunities that fell his side's way to snatch an 80th minute winning goal they barely deserved.

Before the game, the fourth meeting between the sides this season, Rebello had suggested their familiarity with each other reduced the contest to a kind of chess game between coaches.

In all honesty, for most of last night's encounter the sight of the Vasco coach and Vic Ball, his Colts counterpart, in front of a chequered board would have been far more captivating.

Colts made most of the enterprising moves, Vasco relying mainly on lofts downfield from keeper Timmy Figuerido in an attempt to catch out the well-drilled offside trap of last year's league champions.

Keishon Smith, indeed, could have given Colts a second-minute lead after Donovan Livingston gifted him the ball just outside the Vasco box but he shot straight at Figuerido.

Vic Ball Jr combined with Tito Smith and Mark Ray in a swift move which Ray finally squared to Jahmal Samuels, whose shot ricocheted for a corner.

Ascento Russell wasted Vasco's best opening when he capitalised on a dreadful square back pass but Troy Hall was out quickly to block his shot. Clay Smith followed up but blasted just wide.

Colts continued to have most of the possession although Figuerido was rarely seriously troubled.

Wade was thrown on in the 59th minute to replace Voorhees Astwood and five minutes later Shawn Simons came on for Clay Smith. Colts might have taken the lead on 77 minutes when Ray got behind the defence on the left but his square ball was eventually scrambled clear.

And three minutes later, Wade created the winner out of very little. He played the ball into Sammy Swan and burst through to receive the return ball before squeezing home under pressure from two Colts defenders.

It was enough to stretch Vasco's unbeaten run to 19 games despite Ray and Keishon Smith going perilously close in the dying moments.

St David's 0 St George's 1 Marco Lovell grabbed the goal that upset the formbook and sent St George's into a Friendship Shield final against promoted Wolves or Hamilton Parish.

Lovell struck in the 29th minute of last night's hard fought encounter at Devonshire Rec. The win avenged two league defeats earlier in the season by their opponents.