Can anybody find a way to stop Devonshire Cougars? Raymond Beach?

Since joining his team mates on October 17, this irrepressible one-man goalscoring machine has netted an incredible 17 goals in only eight appearances.

Truly the stuff only legends are made of.

At present, Beach is averaging two goals per match, has already bagged three hat-tricks and is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down.

When one takes the current league standings into consideration, the Cougars frontman has accounted for more goals than Premier Division rivals PHC, Boulevard, North Village, Somerset, Somerset Eagles and Southampton Rangers have scored in the league at the half-way stage of the season!

Only league leaders Dandy Town have notched up more league goals than Beach ? but only by a single goal.

Now it remains to be seen just how long can this remarkable goal-feast can last.

Beach has topped the Premier Division scoring charts for the past three seasons, underwent football trials at Tottenham Hotspur in 2002 and was voted league MVP in 2002-03.

At this rate, the diminutive striker could possibly top the 30 goal mark by season?s end and, in doing so, become the first Premier Division marksman do achieve the feat in recent times.

?Everybody is expecting him (Beach) to reach 30 goals this season and the team have rallied behind him,? commented Cougars? stalwart Shawn Smith, now playing in his final season for the big cats.

?He makes it all look so easy and his goal-scoring ability allows other players around him to concentrate solely on their own games ? and it is great to be a part of it all.?

Twice this season Beach has scored four goals in a single game and just last Sunday jumped off the bench to net a spectacular Champions Cup treble against a youthful looking Zebras outfit at Lords to catapult Cougars into the final of the inaugural competition.

?To be honest. . . it?s unbelievable really,? Smith added. ?Chances do fall for strikers but Beach has a very high scoring percentage. He is going to score and the more chances he gets obviously the better it is for him but it?s just incredible.?

Beach also possesses the right temperament to go along with his instinctive ability to find the back of the net with deadly accuracy, said Smith.

?His attitude towards scoring goals is what really carries him,? he added. ?He is very quiet and humble in nature and shows his true character out on the pitch.

?Beach has that killer instinct within him and he loves to win.?

Meanwhile, Cougars have already assured themselves of pocketing at least $2,000 for their Champions Cup efforts.

But winning the league championship, said Smith, still remains top priority for the men in green and gold who have now been bolstered by the return of Heys Wolfe from injury.

?Our sights are set on winning the league,? Smith declared. ?We just want to take one match at a time and try to defend better as a unit as far as giving up goals because we know we can score ? especially with Beach on the pitch. And now we also have Heys back to add another dimension to our attack.?

Cougars presently trail league leaders Dandy Town by three points, are through to the FA Cup quarter-finals and will take on Boulevard in the Friendship Trophy semi-final early in the new year.

The big cats have not won a major domestic title since clinching the 2001-02 Martonmere Cup crown ? Cougars first ever major achievement in local football history.

?We hope to become more consistent in our playing and try to win every match as they come,? Smith added.

But first, Cougars seek to sink their claws and fangs into the Champions Cup tournament, where, they stand a good chance of going down into the history books as the new competition?s inaugural winners.

?We have made a few changes to the team during the competition and Beach and Heys haven?t started yet. The coach (Andrew Bascome) is having a look at a few different players and the camaraderie and unity is there at the moment.

?Now hopefully we can put it altogether and get some silverware out of it.?

Cougars now await the winner of Thursday?s Champions Cup clash involving PHC Zebras and the eventual winners of today?s Dandy Town versus Somerset Eagles clash at Southampton Oval for this Sunday?s final at White Hill Field.