After suffering a second defeat in five days, it appears as though Devonshire Cougars? season is already at a crossroads.

Having encountered injuries or suspensions to key players, the big cats are faced with a perennial adversary ? themselves.

Winning their first four matches of the season convincingly, Cougars began to look invincible even in the absence of top strikers Heys Wolfe and Raymond Beach.

But recent defeats to North Village and Dandy Town have quickly dented their confidence.

?I guess our biggest concerns rest with ourselves,? lamented Cougars coach Andrew Bascome. ?We still have one or two attitude problems which creep up and then things go wrong.

?Sometimes when certain players are not selected to play they are not supportive of those who are. Generally speaking I think things are going okay but it?s just one or two minor mental things we need to sort out.?

While admitting Sunday?s 2-1 loss to Dandy Town was a ?bit disheartening?, Bascome insisted he was not ready to start pressing the panic button.

?I was hoping to come away with at least a draw playing away from home and I?m beginning to wonder if Dandy Town have a psychological effect on our team,? he added.

Town have now won three of their last four encounters against Cougars, including last season?s thrilling FA Cup final at the National Sports Centre.

Cougars? injured list continues to grow with midfielder Mark Smith (ankle), forwards Aljame Zuill (groin) and Reginald Baker (bruised ribs) all ruled out while captain Kwame Steede and midfielder Omar Butterfield suffered serious knocks in Sunday?s match.

Another instrumental player, Kori Goddard, is currently sidelined through suspension while utility player Lovintz Tota has yet to make his presence felt this season.

However, on a brighter note, strikers Wolfe and Beach, who scored in his first match of the season on Sunday, have had their suspensions lifted.

But despite the recent setbacks, Bascome is confident he can lift his troops and get them back on top of their game.

?At the moment we are our own enemies,? said the coach. ?But you have to go through the ups and downs and pick yourself up and soldier on. That?s what make you a champion. The more bitter the battle the sweeter the victory and this is something we must understand because we are going to lose games.?

Bascome described the road to glory as ?narrow? and ?scattered? with obstacles.

?It?s never been smooth,? he said. ?I have won championships already and it has never been easy . . . it?s about building character and that?s the way I think we have to go.

?Again it?s just a few petty attitudes we need to sort out because if we don?t we are never going to get it right. At the moment it is just a matter of six one way and half a dozen the other ? but we are still on target. One has to remember that players are not obligated to be there in the first instance. So as a coach you have to find ways to serve the player and that?s one of the challenges I have.?

Somerset Eagles striker Lamaul Crofton, arguably one of the Island?s most underrated players, was chosen last week as the season?s second recipient of the AT&T Wireless Premier Division player of the week award while Jazane Smith walked away with the fan of the week award.

Crofton received a new cell phone, courtesy of league sponsors AT&T Wireless, after netting an equaliser for Eagles during a recent 1-1 away draw with Southampton Rangers.

Smith, the season?s first recipient of the fan of the week award, also received a new cell phone.

The rained out Premier Division clash involving Boulevard and North Village has been rescheduled for BAA Field this Saturday at 8 p.m.