Devonshire Cougars 4

Hamilton Parish 0

A Tumani Steede double sent Martonmere Cup champions Devonshire Cougars to the top of the Premier Division as visiting Hamilton Parish found themselves way out of their depth at the Den yesterday.

The 18-year-old midfielder converted in the 38th and 44th minutes to demonstrate the sparkling form that has made him the focus of much attention in the US at Professional Development League (PDL) outfit Reading Rage who have expressed a strong desire to have the promising youngster sign on the dotted line.

Steede harbours lofty ambitions to suit up professionally in the future and reckons playing for the Rage would be an ideal platform to start the long and narrow path to the top.

"I am very keen to play there (Rage) and hopefully I can make it because I would like to play professionally one day," he told The Royal Gazette after helping his team to a convincing win over a Hot Peppers team forced to play second fiddle the entire match.

"I thought we played well as a team and controlled the entire match.

"This was one of my better performances in a while and after I scored my first goal I felt pretty confident I could score again."

Last week Rage coach Brendan Burke told The Gazette: "Tumani is a big target for us and is a player we would like to have come onboard next season.

"I haven't seen Tumani play or spoken to him but I trust Derek's (Broadley) judgment 110 percent and Tumani is a player we would like to have onboard next season."

Also on target for Cougars were super sub Pele Evans and winger Lamont Brangman who netted his second goal in as many outings to put the home team ahead for good in the eighth minute.

Steede gave an indication of things to come just seconds into the match when he lobbed over after Kor-Von Tucker's pass over the top caught Peppers flat-footed.

Tucker also went close moments later when his volley from an acute angle whistled past the upright before Parish custodian Nigel Burgess tipped a fierce Kwame Steede drive over the bar.

Having been forced on the back foot from the outset, it always seemed a matter of time before the home team would make the breakthrough which eventually arrived via Brangman's inswinging corner kick that somehow eluded heavy traffic in the goalmouth and curled far post.

At this juncture, the match as a contest had all but ended and Steede would see to it that there would be no way back for a Parish side that never showed up to play.

Aided by some clumsy defending, Steede was gifted a loose ball in the penalty area which he duly dispatched past the exposed Burgess to extend Cougars lead.

Now trailing 2-0, Parish's afternoon continued to go from bad to worst when defender Rashid Ebbins limped off injured with a thigh strain and before they could re-adjust Steede popped up in the box to thump Tucker's pull back into the roof of the net.

Cougars took their foot off the gas somewhat after the break but with the Steede trio of Tumani, Moses and Kwame and the hard working Randy Robinson pulling the strings in the middle of the park held the edge over the visitors.

Moses had a goal disallowed for off-side and Burgess denied Cougars skipper Kwame Steede two scoring opportunities.

But there was very little the Parish 'keeper could do to prevent sub Evans from adding his name to the scoresheet three-minutes from time when he buried Mark Smith's pass in the box to emphatically cap off Cougars' dominant display.

The Big Cats, who are at home to Southampton Rangers in their next league encounter March 1, now top the pile by a single point over previous league leaders Dandy Town who were held to a scoreless draw yesterday at home to PHC Zebras.

Devonshire Cougars – A.Ingham, D.Cox, K.Franks, J.Butterfield, I.Mallory, M.Steede, T.Steede (P.Evans, 78), R.Robinson, L.Brangman (M.Smith, 65), K.Steede (capt), K.Tucker (T.Smith, 80 mins)

Hamilton Parish – N.Burgess, R.Ebbin (P.Richardson, 60), K.Darrell, C.Hansey (G.Burgess, 45 mins), O.Allen, N.Robinson, J.Lambert (R.Smith, 45), R.Evans, C.Caisey (capt), J.Smith.

Booked: R.Ebbin, G.Burgess (Parish)

Man of the match: T.Steede (Cougars)

Referee: Anthony Francis