Devonshire Cougars 4 Flanagan’s Onions 0

Devonshire Cougars are a step closer to retaining the Friendship Trophy after a comfortable victory at Devonshire Rec against a Flanagan’s Onions team struggling for form.

The home team’s attack had an air of freshness to it with Che Brangman back from school leading a pacy attack that also included late signing Alan Douglas Jr.

“With the addition of fast and athletic forwards, it’s important that we avoid the urge too play too direct,” Omar Butterfield, the Cougars coach, said. “When we get that balance right, which I think we did today, we can create chances and score goals.”

It was Brangman, who opened the scoring within two minutes, when he outpaced two defenders to latch on to a long ball from defence. Entering the box with only the keeper to beat, he slotted the ball home.

Cougars were always on the front foot as Moses Steede started to pull strings, feeding his forwards from midfield. Brangman almost doubled the lead seven minutes later when he got on the end of a ball squared in by Douglas, but was unable to keep his first time effort from going inches over the bar.

However, he would not be denied in the 42nd minute when he was on hand to help the ball across the line from three yards. Douglas was first to a through ball down the left side of the box, but his effort looked to be going just wide of the far post, before Brangman arrived on the scene to finish off the move and send his team into the interval two goals to the good.

The second half started the same as the first, with Cougars scoring five minutes after the restart. This time it was Douglas who outpaced the defence, dribbling from the halfway line and placing his shot to the left of the onrushing keeper who could only get his fingertips on the ball.

Cougars, now in complete control, were looking to extend their lead even farther and came close on a few occasions. Jomeko Mallory had his one-on-one effort blocked by the keeper, Steede went just over from the edge of the box after combining with his forward, and Brangman came close to a hat-trick when his shot from 15 yards came off an upright and across the face of goal.

Jawonday Smith closed out the scoring with a skilful finish with ten minutes remaining. He received a ball on his chest just inside the box, and shot with an acrobatic side-volley that went over the goalkeeper and into the net.

SCORERS

Devonshire Cougars

C Brangman 2, 42, Douglas 50, Smith 80

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars: R Brangman, C Maybury, D Williams, O Bascome, J Smith, C Brangman (sub: L Brangman 82min), J Mallory, Zekiro White, M Steede, A Douglas (sub: M Steede 70), Z Simmons. Substitutes not used: R Simmons, D Simmons, C Hardtman. Booked: Williams.

Flanagan’s Onions: C Berkeley, Martel Laws (sub: P Robey 25), Markez Laws, K Lewis (sub: J Higson 70), C Burns, T Smith, S Swan, M Field, N Dunkle, L Matthews, O Wilson. Booked: Swan.

Referee: A Francis