Hamilton Parish 3 Devonshire Colts 2

Premier Division new boys Hamilton Parish marked their return to the top flight by coming from two goals down to stun Devonshire Colts at Lord's yesterday.

Substitute Yusaff Pitt slotted in the winner 12 minutes from time to a spark a pitch invasion by delirious Hot Peppers fans.

Never mind that Colts hit the woodwork three times and missed two sitters as they put the Parish goal under siege in the last 20 minutes - Parish deserved the triumph for their sheer will to win.

It's been a nightmare start for the Hallowe'en boys, who have now started the season with four straight defeats, following a loss in the Charity Cup and two in the Martonmere Cup.

The three points gave Hot Peppers coach Khari Sharrieff a successful, if nerve-racking, debut at the helm of the team who were promoted as First Division runners-up last season.

After a frenetic first half hour in which Parish's Des Crockwell found the net twice but both efforts were ruled out for offside, it was Colts who settled down first and took the lead.

Randy Spence played an incisive early ball in from the left which found Aljame Zuill, who was tackled in the penalty area. The loose ball fell to Lloyd Holder, who took it in his stride and side-footed firmly past goalkeeper Nigel Burgess to give the visitors a 30th-minute lead.

Hot Peppers central defender Chris Caisey had to be carried off by his team-mates in the 37th minute after a crunching tackle. Sixty seconds after the restart as Parish were trying to re-organise their defence, Colts took full advantage of the uncertainty as Quincy Aberdeen cut in from the right and fired into the far corner of the net to double his side's lead.

Parish needed an instant reply and it came in the 39th minute. Jermel Belboda clumsily hauled over Crockwell and referee Richard Knight pointed to the spot. Crockwell got up to confidently convert the penalty.

The second half got off to a quiet start but erupted into life when Parish equalised in the 64th minute. Jermel Belboda lost possession to Pitt, who made good ground down the left flank and squared for Lorenzo Simmons to slide home from close range.

That stung Colts into action. A Shannon Burgess cross from the right was headed against the crossbar by Holder and the ball fell to Zuill six yards out but he blazed his shot wastefully over. Then Holder hit the crossbar with a spectacular 20-yard volley and Ryan Evans hit the post from the rebound.

In the 77th minute, Leon Raynor's last-ditch tackle stopped Shannon Burgess but the ball fell to Zuill who once more missed the target.

A minute later, Lorenzo Simmons' left-wing cross found Clevon Hill who laid it off to Pitt to shoot low into the net and Parish had pulled off an amazing comeback.

Parish: N.Burgess, A.Simmons, C.Caisey (J.Dill 37 mins), C.Woods (A.Baker 56 mins), P.Medeiros, D.Crockwell, L.Raynor, N.Robinson, S.Weeks (Y.Pitt 44 mins), C.Hill, L.Simmons.

Colts: K.Dill, M.Bean, R.Spence, Jermaine Belboda (M.Burch 65 mins), D.Williams (D.Francis 45 mins), S.Burgess, M.Hollis, Jermel Belboda, L.Holder, A.Zuill, Q.Aberdeen (R.Evans 63 mins).

Man of the match: Desmond Crockwell (Parish)

Yellow card: R.Spence (Colts)

Referee: Richard Knight