For the past two seasons Devonshire Cougars have stumbled at the penultimate FA Cup hurdle. But this year nothing could deny them passage through to the coveted season-ending finale on the carpet.

And the big cats are now poised to take on Dandy Town in what, on paper at least, promises to be an exciting climax on April 18.

Cougars were ousted in the 2001-02 semi-final while a costly blunder robbed them of the right to meet eventual champions North Village in last season?s final.

The Devonshire club handed First Division Prospect a heavy defeat at Somerset Cricket Club but were later forced to forfeit the match after it was discovered they had fielded an ineligible player.

This year, however, Cougars remain firmly on course for a maiden cup triumph.

Devonshire have appeared in two FA Cup finals ? in 1978-79 and 1995-95 ? and came out on the losing end on both occasions. However, inspirational sweeper and player/coach Shawn Smith firmly believes his team have what it takes to finally put an end to the club?s FA Cup jinx.

?Town are a good team . . . but I feel as though we are just as good. We can match them man for man and so it all could boil down to who really wants it the most on the day,? said Smith, one of the club?s most senior players and a surviving member of Cougars? losing 1994-95 FA Cup team.

?Normally we do good in the FA . . . we just have to get over the last hurdle to win it and finally get our hands on the cup.?

Smith reckoned his chargers have learned valuable lessons from the past and possess the nucleus of players to put their FA Cup demons to rest.

?It could be psychological,? he noted. ?But we have a lot of youth in our side and a lot of energy,? ? not to mention in strikers Raymond (Packy) Beach and Heys (Ronaldo) Wolfe arguably the Island?s most potent attack.

The dynamic duo have accounted for the bulk of Cougars? 36 league goals this season and over the past few seasons have been regarded as the best attacking pair in domestic football.

Cougars currently top the Premier Division standings and await the final outcome of the twice abandoned Town v Somerset Eagles clash which will determine who wins the championship.

Should Town draw or lose their final league fixture of the season to Eagles, then the coveted league title could find its way to the Den for the first time in local football history.

?If things don?t go our way in the league, then that?s all we have left to play for (FA),? Smith continued. ?And after last season it would be heart-breaking for the team to come up short again. Yes, we have made mistakes in the past but hopefully the guys have learned valuable lessons from them.?

PHC women?s team put an exclamation mark on their season with a 10-2 rout of Dandy Stars on Sunday.

Already assured of league success, they went on the rampage at St. John?s Road with Tashana Wade netting four goals while Shauntea Todd and Ebony Burgess struck two each. Ziara Campbell and Carrie Kenneth accounted for the Zebras? other goals.

The team and their supporters promptly took off on a celebratory motorcade after receiving their silverware from Bermuda Football Association officials.