Wolves 2 Devonshire Colts 3<$f$>

Devonshire Colts called upon their cup pedigree last night to overturn their worst result of the season and seize a much-needed psychological advantage before the Dudley Eve Trophy begins next week.

A place in the last four of the Friendship Trophy was confirmed at St. John’s Field after two goals by Lloyd Holder and another by Quincy Aberdeen, all in the first-half, cancelled out the early initiative given to Wolves by Vince Minors.

Wolves, undermined by the dismissal of defender Jamel Simmons near the end of the half, battled wholeheartedly but were rewarded only with a second goal by Minors four minutes from time.

Colts were thrashed 5-2 when the teams last met on November 4 but they have remained unbeaten in five matches since and it was that resolve that was on show after Wolves threatened to run them off the pitch in the early exchanges.

Minors scored in the second minute after Jared Peniston ran at Shannon Burgess and put in a fine cross to the back post.

The livewire winger remained in the thick of the action as he forced an error from Colts goalkeeper Kevin Bean but Leo Ming reacted too slowly and Bean recovered to deflect his shot over the bar.

Bean made further atonement with the match only seven minutes old, as he produced an outstanding kick save to deny Peniston after Simmons fired in a raking cross.

This was the kick up the backside Colts desperately needed and they responded with a counter-punch that left Wolves chasing the game.

Holder’s first goal, after 10 minutes, came out of nothing. A hopeful Burgess ball into the middle was controlled poorly and Holder popped up to strike an unstoppable drive past Michael Higgs.

While Wolves were busy feeling sorry for themselves, Colts struck again. This time, the defence dawdled while Kuma Smith played a quick free-kick to Dennis Zuill. An alert Holder cashed in on the deflection to score.

Colts now looked a much different proposition and the match shifted further in their favour when Simmons, a former Colts player who symbolised the previous defeat most with a wild celebration in front of their bench, was dismissed for foul and abusive language two minutes before the half.

The advantage was seized on almost immediately with Aberdeen scoring with a left-foot shot from the edge of the area after the ball was worked inside from the right flank.

“In the first-half we were terrible defensively,” Dennis Brown, the Wolves coach, conceded. “We have nobody to blame but ourselves. In order for us to improve in the Dudley Eve Trophy, we have to get better.”

Simmons’s dismissal prompted the introduction of Jamel Warren and he settled the defence nicely, according to the coach, as Wolves sought to be back into the match.

The best chances fell to Minors and Peniston while Anthony Thomas, who was pushed forward in the striker’s role, was denied by a goal-line clearance by Burgess.

Minors brought Wolves fleeting hope when he scored past Bean’s right hand after he was played in by substitute Rashid Ebbin but Colts by now had just about done enough.Wolves<$>: M.Higgs; T.Trott, A.Thomas, K.Parfitt, J.Simmons; T.Davis (R.Ebbin, 78 mins), J.Douglas, S.Waldron; J.Peniston, L.Ming (J.Warren, 45 mins), V.Minors. Substitutes not used<$>: P.Sampson, G.Georges, C.Durrant. Booked<$>: Thomas, Minors. Sent off<$>: Simmons.

Devonshire Colts<$>: K.Bean; M.Hollis (D.Williams, 87 mins), S.Burgess, Jermel Belboda; Jermaine Belboda, K.Smith, D.Zuill (K.Simpson, 68 mins), K.Burchall; L.Holder, J.Aberdeen, Q.Aberdeen (C.Hill, 78 mins). Substitutes not used<$>: A.Hendrickson, J.Dill. Booked<$>: Hollis, Jermel Belboda, Jermaine Belboda.

Men of the match<$>: Sekai Waldron (Wolves); Shannon Burgess (Devonshire Colts).

Referee: George O’Brien.