The Coca Cola First Division's most prolific team in front of goal were denied a place in the Dudley Eve tournament when they failed to score in a league game for the first time this season in a disappointing encounter at St David's yesterday.

What at another time might have been considered a useful point at Boulevard was unfortunately not enough for the visitors on this occasion as other results went against them.

Dandy Town had been pinning their hopes on leading scorer Darron Simons, with eight league goals this term, to enhance their chances of qualifying for the lucrative Christmas and New Year tournament.

And although he showed some neat touches and linked well with his fellow strikers, he was rarely allowed to do his stuff close enough to goal to hurt his opponents and add to his season's tally.

The early exchanges had suggested the good-sized crowd braving the swirling wind and threat of rain were to be rewarded with an exciting match.

Boulevard forced four corners in the opening quarter of an hour, George Smith poking the ball through a crowd of players from one only to see it cleared off the line. Then Neil Robinson brought a finger-tip save from Antoine Lightbourne. Moments later strong appeals for handball in the Boulevard area were waved away by referee George O'Brien.

Dandy Town might have taken the lead when Andre Hendrickson's awful clearance was picked up by Simons, whose low shot was palmed out by the goalkeeper -- but Dean Boyles got the ball out of harm's way before a Town forward could pounce on the rebound.

At the other end, Kenneth Hill created an opening for Dwight Warren, but the Bermuda international was denied by Douglas Pernell's tackle.

Dandy Town continued to carve out opportunities on their right hand side but lacked the composure to take advanatage as Jamiko Marshall, twice, Pernell and Dano Outerbridge all shot wildly from promising positions.

Midway through an increasingly shapeless second half, Town went closest to breaking the deadlock. Paul Cann, five yards outside the Boulevard box, was given enough time and space by the home defence to measure a chip which came back off the angle of bar and upright as Hendrickson scrambled across his line.

Then Reginald Tucker was unlucky twice within the space of a minute. His low 18-yard shot from the left seemed destined for the bottom corner until Hendrickson's outstretched left hand intervened to turn it round the post.

From the resulting corner Tucker got on the end of a near post flick-on but his effort went straight into the arms of the grateful goalkeeper.

Four minutes from time Boulevard also had two chances to clinch the points.

First Smith's finely-measured through ball seemed to have put Warren in but as the striker lined up his shot, Outerbridge slid across magnificently to clear.

And in stoppage time, Hill got away from his marker at a corner but his glancing near post header was kicked off the line.

Boulevard: A.Hendrickson, L.Stevens, A.Brown, D.Boyles, A.Caisey, G.Smith, N.Robinson, V.Eve (O.Minors 83 mins), K.Hill, D.Warren, R.Bascome.

Dandy Town: A.Lightbourne, D.Pernell, D.Outerbridge, J.Marshall, D.Bailey, C.Wilkinson, D.Boyles, L.Furbert, P.Cann, D.Simons, R.Tucker.

Referee: George O'Brien.

Men of the match: George Smith (Boulevard); Reginald Tucker (Dandy Town).