Devonshire Cougars 3

Wolves 1

Two goals from Makai Battersbee helped Devonshire Cougars to put another nail in Wolves’ relegation coffin last night at Devonshire Recreation Club.

Alanzo Parsons opening the scoring just before the half-time whistle, but it took Battersbee’s intervention in the second half to confirm the destination of the points and render John Barry Nusum’s late goal as nothing more than consolation.

“We had the chance early on and didn’t take it, but that has been the story of our season,” Mark Jennings, the Wolves coach, said. “We have had chances throughout the season that, if we could have scored we may not be in the position we are in. But that’s the game we play.”

The action came thick and fast with both sides trying to gain the early momentum. Wolves, the tenants and visiting side for the match, had the first gilt-edged chance of the match in the first minute, but Daniel Johnson, the Cougars goalkeeper, did well to push a TeVaugh Tyrell header away for a corner.

Cougars countered with two strikes moments later, the first from midfielder Zahki Iris and the next from Battersbee. But both shots went wide of their intended target.

Just as Wolves thought they had something to build their half-time team talk on, Parsons pounced. The midfielder met defender Zeiko White’s cross from the left and slid his effort past David Trott in the Wolves goal.

Whatever the merit of Jennings’s talk at the interval, Wolves seemed none the better, as they quickly fell two down upon resumption. Battersbee made no mistake after being put behind the visiting side’s defence to slam home from 12 yards.

Wolves were given a lifeline from veteran Nusum 19 minutes from the final whistle, when he met a free kick from Vince Minors Jr with a powerful header that flew past Johnson.

Any hope of a comeback was thwarted by Battersbee when the Wolves defence was cut through again, this time by Darius Cox, the defender, who unselfishly played the ball across the face of goal for the diminutive winger to slot home.