This match did not serve up the excitement seen recently in the 3-3 league draw at Devonshire Rec, but in the end holders Devonshire Cougars were just happy to advance in the Friendship Trophy.

Heavy early-afternoon rain left St John’s Field wet and with puddles in some areas, preventing the type of fast paced, exciting football served up by the teams in their previous meeting.

In the end, Domico Coddington’s 28th-minute goal was all that separated the teams as Cougars advanced to the semi-finals of one of the three competitions they won last season.

“I told the guys it didn’t have to look pretty today because of the conditions,” said coach Dennis Brown, who had a relieved look on his face when the final whistle was blown.

“I told them the main thing was the result and to make sure our name was in the hat for the semi-finals.

“I thought we fought hard, we were under pressure at times but I thought we defended well today as a team. It was a very close game, could have gone either way and I thought we were slightly in front of them. At the end of the day, I’m happy with the result.

“It gives us a good incentive for the Christmas period. I told them we would rather play than train, but we still have to do some training on Christmas Day in preparation for the semi-finals.”

Coddington took a return pass to get into the right side of the box before blasting in a shot from an acute angle that the goalkeeper, Andrew Jjombwe, could not keep out.

The teams struggled to get to grips with the conditions, but Dandy Town came more into the game late in the first half, with front three Zaire Burchall, Angelo Simmons and Damon Ming beginning to impose themselves on the Cougars defence.

The youngster Burchall had a good chance to pull Town level early in the second half when a ball through the middle opened the Cougars defence. Burchall pounced but the striker’s first touch was lacking and the chance was wasted.

At the other end, a shot on the turn by Drewonde Bascome went just wide of the near post after Kor-Von Tucker’s surge from full back created the opening.

Cougars suffered a setback when captain Chris Caisey limped off in the 76th minute after he came out worse from a collision with Reiko Trott.

Even with six minutes of stoppage time, Town could not produce an equaliser as Cougars kept alive their hopes of another Friendship trophy title.

The draw for the semi-finals will be made next Monday, with the matches scheduled for December 26 and 27 at Wellington Oval and Goose Gosling Field.

A fourth-minute goal from Jaz Ratteray-Smith made certain of Somerset Trojans’ place in the last four at the expense of PHC Zebras.

Missed chances at Somerset Cricket Club kept PHC in the game, as Ratteray-Smith hit an upright with another chance around the half-hour mark and then Somerset’s Deunte Darrell saw his second-half penalty saved after Mikey Lambe brought down Sean Brangman.

PHC, themselves, missed three good chances to equalise in three minutes of stoppage time, as balls across the face of the goal were either put wide or miskicked two yards from goal.