Defending champions Vasco moved to the top of the Coca-Cola First Division yesterday with a handsome victory over a Colts side who forgot to put on their shooting boots at BAA Field.

The margin of victory was flattering, though Colts had only themselves to blame for missing a string of good chances and illustrating why they have averaged only one goal per game this season.

Indeed Colts had the better of the early exchanges and were unlucky not to draw first blood in the second minute, when Aljame Zuill's scorching 25-yard free kick beat Vasco goalkeeper Timmy Figureido and curled inches over the crossbar.

Figureido was exposed again eight minutes later when the lively Quincy Aberdeen burst through the Vasco rearguard, but the keeper blocked his low shot with his feet.

The first sign of Vasco as an attacking threat came in the 25th minute when the robust Clay Smith bustled his way into the box, only for Colts goalkeeper Troy Hall to save bravely at his feet.

Vasco broke the deadlock in the 37th minute when Ascento Russell struck a low, 20-yard drive through a crowd of players and the ball squirmed under Hall's desperate dive.

Colts continued to regularly work themselves into good positions without getting in shots at goal. A case in point came four minutes before half-time, when a fine move sparked by Zuill's strong run down the left wing ended with Shannon Burgess beating a defender with his first touch, but then missing his kick just eight yards from goal.

After the interval, Vasco looked much more confident and Russell almost grabbed his second, but saw his deflected shot tipped around the post by the diving Hall.

Dwight Basden saw his header from a corner cleared off the line, before Vasco's spell of pressure finally brought them reward in the 56th minute.

Keith Jennings whipped in a cross at pace from the right and Smith neatly steered a side-footed half-volley into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

The same combination so nearly brought the same result on the hour when Jennings' lob through the middle found Smith, but impressive Colts centre-back McKonnen Hollis produced a goal-saving tackle.

Marvin Belboda should have pulled one back for Colts on 77 minutes, but scuffed his shot with only Figureido to beat. Seconds later, Vasco had sealed the three points with a third goal. Meshach Wade made a clever run to spring the Colts offside trap, cut in from the right wing and fired gleefully into the net.

There was still time for Colts to miss two more good opportunities, Kershon Smith blazing over from 15 yards and substitute Jerome Laws volleying too high from the edge of the box, before the final whistle signalled that Vasco were back on top.

Vasco: T.Figureido, Kentione Jennings, C.Roberts, E.Richardson, W.Augustus, A.Russell, S.Gibbons, M.Wade, D.Basden, Keith Jennings, C.Smith (L.Durham 77 mins).

Colts: T.Hall, S.Simmons (S.Waldron 82 mins), J.Belboda, S.Burgess, M.Hollis, K.Smith, Q.Aberdeen (J.Laws 67 mins), M.Belboda, A.Zuill (S.Philips 57 mins), D.Wright, N.Samuels.

Referee: Anthony Mouchette.

Men of the match: Clay Smith (Vasco); McKonnen Hollis (Dev.Colts).