Premier Division leaders Dandy Town were forced to put the champagne back on ice after Robin Hood’s 2-0 victory away to Devonshire Cougars last night.

Anything less than a Hood victory would have landed Town an eighth Premier Division championship and fourth in seven seasons.

However, the visiting side made certain that the leaders will have to wait at least until Sunday when they host Somerset Trojans, last season’s champions, at St John’s Field to clinch the title and start the celebrations.

Hood got their tactics spot on in blustery and frigid conditions at Devonshire Recreation Club last night and prevailed on two well-taken, first-half goals from forwards Lejuan Simmons and Nathan Peskett, who were a thorn in Cougars’ side all night.

Kyle Lightbourne, the Hood coach, said: “Their [Town] champagne is on ice for another week at least.

“We have done our part and it would have been disappointing on our behalf if we would have handed them the title. In the first-half performance, my guys showed that they just didn’t want to lay down and let Town win the league.

“It was very difficult conditions, windy and a bubbly pitch. But first half is where we won the game.”

Cougars’ loss was their first of 2016, snapping a five-game win streak stretching back to January 11, when they beat relegation-threatened Southampton Rangers 2-0 at home.

“It’s a strange thing because we were the first team to beat Devonshire Colts [in the first league encounter between the two sides],” Lightbourne said.

“They hadn’t been beaten in a while and we managed to beat them and then tonight we played a Cougars team that hadn’t lost this year and beat them also.”

When asked again does he believe that the title race is over, Lightbourne said: “We’ve done our work tonight, while they need another two points. It’s up to them.

“They win their game, then they win the league. And if they don’t, then it goes on another week.

“It’s plain and simple, and the pressure is on them. We ain’t got any pressure on us, we are a young team.”