Devonshire Cougars 4

BAA 2

Devonshire Cougars got their FA Cup defence off to a winning start by beating First Division side BAA at Devonshire Rec.

A brace from Tumani Steede and solo strikes from Shaki Pearman and Dane Simmons were enough to get the champions over the first round hurdle.

Skipper Jesse Almeida and Vance Hill scored for BAA.

In a match that was supposed to be a comfortable win for the hosts, Steede got the opening goal in the seventh minute to pin the First Division side back early. However, BAA were back in the thick of things three minutes later when Almeida levelled matters with his effort from just outside the box.

With the scores level, there was always a sense of 'cat and mouse' being played on the pitch, with BAA's defence looking solid as a unit, stopping wave after wave of Cougar attacks.

The match meandered to the half with neither team really asserting any real pressure to cause a mistake by the other.

It wasn't until the 54th that the deadlock was broken, with Pearman being the man to put the champions ahead for good.

After neat work down the right by Lejuan Simmons the ball was miskicked and fell to Pearman who made no mistake from 18 yards out.

The match was beyond doubt with Steede's second in the 79th, a powerful shot stayed low on its way to the back of the net, leaving 'keeper Kevin Bean with little hope of getting to it.

Simmons made it four a few minutes later after youngster Juma Mouchette beat his defender and cut the ball for the burly striker to score the simplest goal he will be required to net.

Vance Hill was rewarded for his hard work one minute later when he pressured a mistake in the Cougars area, having Ricardo Brangman's kick deflect off him and into an empty net.

BAA: K. Bean, P. Froncioni, M. Lowe, A. Bell, A. Madeiros, J. Almeida, I. Simmons, W. Clemans, C. Lima (Z. Robinson,58), J. Stovell, V. Hill

Substitutes not used: J. Simons, S. Adderley, F. Karfa, M. Burch

Goals: J. Almeida, 10, V. Hill 84

Devonshire Cougars: R. Brangman, K. Tucker, Z. White, S. Brangman, J. Butterfield, C. Caisey, T. Steede, K. Steede (D. Daniels, 82), M. Steede (J. Mouchette, 62), L. Simmons, S. Pearman (D. Simmons, 62)

Substitutes not used: C. Clarke, J. Smith

Goals: T. Steede 7, 79, S. Pearman, 54, D. Simmons, 83

Man of the Match: T. Steede

Referee: W. Woodley

Paget 0 Robin Hood 2

Robin Hood progressed to the next phase of the competition with a win over Paget at White Hill Field yesterday.

Former Boulevard winger Aaron Williams was on target twice for the Hood.