Devonshire Colts 1 Vasco 0 Devonshire Colts missed a hatful of chances but one goal by Quincy Aberdeen was sufficient to book their place in the Dudley Eve Trophy final.

Just as in their opening fixture of the holiday tournament, the 2-1 midweek victory over PHC, Colts' wasteful finishing made hard work of what should have been a more comfortable victory at Wellington Oval on Boxing Day.

But Vasco would argue they were denied an equaliser 15 minutes from time, when their striker Irving Burgess was sent flying right on the edge of the penalty area after a slide tackle by Colts defender Jermel Simmons.

Despite vehement Vasco appeals for a penalty, referee George O'Brien waved play on. Whether the challenge was legitimate and whether it was inside or outside the area were both debatable issues. But after making the tackle, Simmons clutched his head in apparent dismay, before realising no foul had been given.

Not uncommonly for a game with so much at stake and the teams well matched, it was slow to get going.

Vasco almost had the lead in the 11th minute, when the sharp Dwight Basden broke free down the left and chipped a nicely weighted cross to the far post, where the on-rushing Burgess just failed to get a touch.

What turned out to be Colts' winner came from their first serious goalscoring attempt in the 14th minute.

Tito Smith started the move, dribbling at the heart of the Vasco defence, before playing a pass to his right to Aberdeen, who found himself with oodles of space on the edge of the box.

Aberdeen took a couple of strides forward before angling a low, right-footed drive past diving Vasco keeper Timmy Figureido and into the bottom right-hand corner.

As clearly illustrated by the goal, Vasco's left side of defence looked vulnerable and Colts' most dangerous first-half raids stemmed from attacking that weakness.

The tricky Damon Ming tormented the league champions' defence several times, once dribbling from the centre circle to the penalty area before losing control. Even then an attempted clearance hit Ming and rebounded goalwards, but Figureido saved.

Vasco had their chances too and Kuma Smith was unfortunate to see his venomously struck 35th-minute free-kick from 25 yards well saved by Troy Hall.

Five minutes later Smith, who had been suffering from the effects of an earlier knock, was pulled off, making way for his namesake Clay Smith.

In the last five minutes of the half, Vasco stepped up their game and twice went close.

First Sinclair Gibbons' pass set up a scramble for the ball between keeper Hall and Basden, but as the pair challenged the ball somehow escaped them both and went out for a goal-kick.

Then a long ball by Gibbons caught the Colts defence napping and bounced into the path of Keenan Burchall, but his half-volley was high and wide.

Vasco continued to press early in the second half. Busy midfielder Burchall found Clay Smith with his back to goal and he teed up Keith Jennings, but the hat-trick hero of Vasco's 3-1 win against North Village in midweek, completely miscued his shot.

Colts defended well and in the last 20 minutes should have wrapped the game up on a series of counter-attacks sparked by half-time substitute Marvin Belboda.

First Belboda twisted and turned in the area before crossing to Zuill, who at full stretch got a foot to the ball but could not control his shot.

Then, on 73 minutes, Belboda found himself clean through after winning a 50-50 challenge with Sharrieff, but he shot high over the bar from 12 yards.

Three minutes from time, Belboda rounded Figureido and crossed for substitute Clevon Hill, but he scuffed his shot and it was cleared off the line. And there was still time for Belboda to miss another great chance, when his close-range shot was blocked by defender Wayne Augustus after a pinpoint cross by Zuill.

Flashes of skill by Clay Smith set up two chances for Vasco in the dying moments, but first Gibbons saw his shot saved and then Burchall shot wide from the edge of the box.

Colts: T.Hall, S.Burgess, J.Simmons, Jermel Belboda, N.Samuels, T.Smith, J.Samuels, D.Ming, Q.Aberdeen (M.Belboda 45 mins), J.Laws (C.Hill 78), A.Zuill.

Vasco: T.Figureido, D.Sharrieff, C.Roberts, W.Augustus, Jermaine Belboda (A.Tyrell 84), K.Burchall, K.Smith (C.Smith 40 mins), K.Jennings, I.Burgess, D.Basden (C.Anderson 67 mins), S.Gibbons.

Men of the match: Shannon Burgess (Colts); Keenan Burchall (Vasco) Yellow cards: Ming, M.Belboda, Zuill (Colts); Gibbons, C.Smith (Vasco) Referee: George O'Brien Picture by Ras Mykkal Grappling contest: Devonshire Colts goalscorer Quincy Aberdeen (left) gets to grips with Vasco's Jermaine Belboda.

Picture by Ras Mykkal Crunch time: Devonshire Colts' Nathan Samuels (left) is sent flying by Vasco's Clay Smith, who earned a yellow card from referee George O'Brien for the challenge.