Devonshire Cougars 1 St George’s Colts 1

Domico Coddington’s late heroics salvaged a point for Devonshire Cougars in a lacklustre Premier Division affair at Devonshire Rec on Sunday.

St George’s took the lead courtesy of a goal from Ne-Jai Tucker and appeared to have done enough to secure victory before Coddington capitalised on some slack defending to earn the home side a share of the spoils that they probably did not deserve.

“We know it was not our best game but we showed character,” Kwame Steede, the Cougars coach and club president, told The Royal Gazette.

“We showed a lot of character at the end and could have nicked it. We had St George’s on the back foot at the right time, and for ten to 15 minutes it was one way.

“They had a lot of play for the majority of the game but at the end we should have took the three points but so it goes. St George’s played well and it was a good point for us.”

Steede’s opposite number Drewonde Bascome was satisfied to come away with a share of the spoils.

“It was a good point away from home in our first game and also my first league match, so I think the boys did well,” he said.

“Unfortunately we could not get the result, but we go down the road with a point and that is good enough for now.

“We did dominate for some spells and should have capitalised on them but Cougars are a good team. They are well drilled, well organised, and respect to the coach.”

Cougars threatened first with St George’s keeper Jahquil Hill pushing Coddington’s grasscutter around the post.

The away side responded with striker Tah-Ki Tucker’s effort inside the area tipped onto the post by Cougars custodian Q-Shai Darrell and cleared away.

Tucker was again in the thick of the action moments later, this time curling wide of the far post from an angle, while team-mate Jarryd Richardson’s ambitious 30-yard blast sailed just over the bar during a dominant spell of possession by St George’s.

Cougars were nearly gifted the lead against the run of play just before half time but, fortunately for St George’s, defender Oyinde Bascome’s intended clearance bounced just wide of the open net with keeper Hill stranded.

Both teams were forced to make unscheduled substitutions at the start of the second half as St George’s defender Amon Joaquin Simons and Cougars counterpart Manoj Paynter picked up injuries and were unable to carry on.

Ne-Jai Tucker, who was a thorn in Cougars’ side with his superb dribbling and passing, finally broke the deadlock from a set piece. The lively forward’s free-kick was palmed away by Darrell but the defence failed to clear their lines and Tucker was allowed ample time and space inside the area to plant his shot into the far bottom corner.

St George’s created more good looks at goal coming down the home stretch but were unable to convert them and were left to rue missed opportunities as Coddington brought the teams level. Jayori Fox’s pass in a crowded box was dummied by substitute Simeon Burrows and elder statesman Coddington drilled his shot past Hill.

Coddington then squandered a glorious opportunity after racing clear, while at the other end Darrell did well to block Simons’s effort at the near post to deny the away side a last-gasp winner right on the full time whistle.

Scorers

Devonshire Cougars: Coddington, 87

St George’s Colts: Ne-Jai Tucker, 65

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars (4-1-4-1): Q Darrell 7 – C Caisey 6, Zekiro White 6, Zeko White 6, M Battersbee 4 (sub: J Thomas, 29min 6), M Paynter 6 (sub: S Burrows, 62 6) – J Brimmer 4 (sub: L Thomas, 29 5) – J Fox 6, L Millett 5, M Thomas 6 – D Coddington 7. Substitutes not used: S Jones, N Carmichael. Booked: Millett, J Thomas.

St George's (4-1-4-1): J Hill 7 – J Richardson 7, R Phipps 5 (sub: G Wade, 57 6), O Bascome 7, A Joaquin Simons 7 – J Bassett 7 – C Neal 7, K Hall 7, B Hall 6 (sub: M Tucker, 71 5), N Tucker – T Tucker 7. Booked: Neal

Referee: M Wyer 9.