for their refusal to play in this season's semi-final.

Vasco were also awarded the tie and a place in Sunday's final against Devonshire Colts in the hardest-hitting of rulings on abandoned and boycotted matches announced yesterday by Bermuda Football Association.

It was also made clear that Boulevard effectively handed the league title to Vasco with their no-show against the champions 10 days ago.

Confirmation from the BFA that Vasco had been awarded the three points ensured John Rebello's side had retained their title, regardless of the outcome of their clash with Devonshire Colts yesterday.

Colts can at last celebrate their place in the FA Cup final against Dandy Town on April 11, after being awarded their abandoned semi-final against Boulevard.

In the match played three weeks ago, referee Anthony Mouchette called an early halt with Colts leading 2-0, after being hit on the back by a bottle thrown by Boulevard's Haile Outerbridge, a player he had just sent off.

Outerbridge has since been banned from soccer for 25 years by a BFA disciplinary committee.

Colts were also awarded three points for their abandoned league match against Wolves a week ago. The game was called off after an injury reduced the Wolves team to six players -- one less than the minimum number required for the match to continue.

Meanwhile, Devonshire Cougars surrendered their First Division status without a fight by failing to turn up for their game against Wolves yesterday.

Referee Gregory Smith waited 15 minutes after the scheduled 3.00 p.m. kick-off time to give Cougars a chance to appear at Devonshire Rec.

But the dressing room marked `home team' remained empty, with not a single player or official appearing for the First Division's second-from-bottom club.

Yesterday's no-show was the second game in succession boycotted by Cougars, after they and already-relegated Hamilton Parish decided not to play their scheduled fixture, also at Devonshire Rec., 11 days ago.

And they will get no second chance, as the BFA ruled yesterday that both sides had forfeited the match.

Wolves had submitted their team sheet and were ready to play.

Referee Smith said: "If three or four had turned up and it looked like there was a chance of more coming, I'd have been quite happy to wait until 3.30 or even 3.45 to give the game every chance of being played.

"But when there's no-one here at all, then there's no point hanging around and wasting everybody's time.'' Heavy rain had left puddles of water in central areas of the pitch, but Smith emphasised that the postponement had been nothing to do with the conditions.

"The pitch was fine and the conditions were good for football,'' he said.

Cougars still had a technical chance of hauling themselves out of the drop zone, before the BFA ruling on their non-match against Parish confirmed their relegation.