Wolves 3

Devonshire Cougars 3

Ten-man Wolves were left to rue a golden opportunity of grabbing a win over parish rivals Devonshire Cougars last night at Devonshire Recreation Club as the two sides had to settle for a share of the spoils.

In an encounter that produced six goals, it would be Wolves who were kicking themselves when the final whistle after giving up maximum points on three separate occasions.

Drewonde Bascome, Domico Coddington, and a stoppage-time strike from youngster Makai Battersbee cancelled efforts by Troy Tucker, Marcus Ming and Maricko Iris.

Iris was also sent off for two bookable offences.

The result puts Cougars atop the Premier Division standings heading into tomorrow’s matches, one point ahead of Dandy Town.

“I felt we should have gotten a result out of the match, we had the better chances and stuck to the plan as a team, but in the end the score says a draw, so we have to accept it,” Wolves coach Mark Jennings said.

“We were the better team, organisation was key to our ability to get a positive end and we did just that.”

Neither side seemed capable of keeping a clean sheet given how their respective goalkeepers performed throughout the game.

Kioshi Trott, in goal for Cougars, did not budge a muscle when a Tucker’s free kick went up and over his wall in the fifteenth minute to give the hosts the lead.

Although Wolves were the home side at The Den, Cougars made their intentions be known that they came out to compete, and they did just that in the 33rd after a Darren Williams cross found Bascome, who tapped in form close range.

Ming put Wolves back in front, however, just before the break after Stephen Bremar won the ball back deep inside their own half and released the lanky striker.

He finished with aplomb as Trott was again a spectator. Wolves had a chance to go up two goals after Iris was brought down in the area by Zeiko White in the 61st, but Tucker’s penalty was saved by Daniel Johnson, who had come on as a substitute for Trott at half-time.

The save would prove crucial because Cougars captain Chris Caisey Jr dispossessed Iris as he was attempting to go down the right flank, and his diagonal ball found Coddington, who made no mistake from close range.

Both his and Bascome’s goals, however, were made easy by Wolves goalkeeper Stephen Davis, who made no attempt at either effort on his goal.

Iris would eventually get his name on the scoresheet midway through the second half, after a neat build-up between himself and Derrick Brangman, the Bermuda cricketer who was just back from international duty in the UAE, found him in a yard of space. He made no mistake from six yards.

With the end in sight, Wolves would relinquish the lead with the clock ticking down, courtesy of a Coddington corner that Battersbee, 17, put over the line from point-blank range.

“They are a good side but in the game you have to go with what will get you a result,” Jennings said. “I really think that we were deserved of more. We were up every time, yet conceded sloppy goals, either by a free kick of by a corner — like their last goal — and we have to be weary of this from the start of a match right until the end.

“I thought we could have been successful in the match had we remained composed in the crucial stages of the match, but in the end we will have to accept the result and move on from here.”

Wolves (4-5-1): S Davis — L Paynter, A Brangman, S Bremar, M Williams — T Tucker, T Tucker, N Lee, A Hunt (sub: L Ming, 85min), M Iris — M Ming (sub: D Brangman, 73). Substitutes not used: M Showers. Booked: Iris. Sent off: Iris.

Devonshire Cougars (4-1-4-1:) K Trott (sub: D Johnson, 46) — D Williams, K Franks, Z White, K Tucker — P Parsons (sub: M Battersbee, 63) — C Brangman, C Caisey, D Coddington, K Steede (sub: M Steede, 85) — D Bascome. Substitutes not used: K DeSilva, J Furbert-Wade, A Parsons, D Daniels, T Dill.

Referee: A Francis.