Colts' skipper Shannon Burgess pitched Cougars deeper into the relegation mire with a soft goal from a free-kick 23 minutes from the end of a largely uninspiring match at White Hill Field yesterday.

The free-kick was awarded about four yards outside the Cougars box and as they tried to organise a defensive wall, Burgess strolled up and skidded a seemingly harmless shot through it and underneath goalkeeper Tori Henry.

It was a bright moment in a lacklustre game for Colts, whose approach work failed to bear fruit because of a lack of imagination near to goal.

Cougars worked hard throughout but had to depend too much on veteran strikers Oscar Samuels and Philip Clarke, whose best days are clearly behind them -- although the latter caused Colts a couple of scares with a brace of shots that flew just wide.

Colts held the edge in an uneventful first 45 minutes as Aljame Zuill and Keison Smith powered their way down the left flank only to see their crosses cleared or wasted by profligate team-mates.

Their best chance came after 29 minutes when Zuill's shot from 15 yards was saved by the diving Henry.

Cougars went close moments later but Samuels' tame shot sailed inches wide of the upright.

Zuill put a shot wide from a sharp angle after 50 minutes when Henry lost possession while attempting to clear and the close call seemed to fire up Colts for the first time.

Sean Smith cleared Keishon Smith's drive off the line and the rebound went to Jermal Simmons whose follow-up hit the goalkeeper and was deflected for a corner.

Cougars came more into the game once Burgess had put Colts ahead and with George Dyer prompting from centre-back, almost levelled when Mark Smith's 22-yard blast sailed just inches over the bar.

Devonshire Colts: T.Hall; J.Belboda, S.Burgess, M.Hollis, J.Simmons (G.Trott, 90 mins); T.Smith, D.Wright, R.Douglas (K.Lawrence, 73 mins), K.Smith; A.Zuill, J.Laws (J.Butterfield, 55 mins).

Devonshire Cougars: T.Hewey; P.Mallory, G.Dyer, S.Smith, C.Smith; W.Salaam, M.Smith, K.Saltus (D.Bean, 75 mins); C.Goddard, O.Samuels (S.Hewey, 55 mins), P.Clarke.

Referee: Stuart Crockwell.

Men of the match: Jermel Simmons (Colts); George Dyer (Cougars).