Crystal Palace Baltimore 2 Bermuda Hogges 1

Maryland SoccerPlex, Germantown - It was billed as a duel between the division’s aesthetes – and at least Bermuda Hogges can claim to have handsomely won that particular contest.

But appearances count for nothing in football and although their purist style has courted plenty of admirers; it has only earned them a paltry point so far this frustrating season.

It would be wrong to suggest Crystal Palace Baltimore were unattractive though, with both teams ensuring it was a pleasurable spectacle from a punters point of view.

But neither of the division’s latest franchise outfits entered the league to simply entertain. And for that reason it was always going to prove a fascinating fixture, and barometer, for the Hogges to gauge their progress.

It was legendary manager Brian Clough who famously quipped: “If God had wanted us to play football in the sky, he’d have put grass up there.”

And with most teams at this level adopting a style of play more akin to former England boss Graham Taylor than ‘Ol’Big Head’, it’s a phrase the Hogges can painfully relate with the long-ball their constant nemesis.

But in Palace they faced a team with a similar football ethic, a team just as keen to play the beautiful game.

That ensured this narrow defeat was all the more painful for the Hogges who knew it was a genuine opportunity to shake their winless monkey off their back.

And for the first-half it seemed they may achieve that remit, for they were not simply Palace’s equals but arguably their superiors in terms of possession.

But their frustrating tendency to switch off at the most inappropriate of times once again reared its ugly head straight after the break, with Charlie Sherringham teeing up Matthew Mbuta for a neat left-foot finish on 47-minutes.

Josh Alcala doubled their lead on 62 when he hit a dipping volley, under no duress, from 20-yards giving debutant keeper Jason Williams little chance.

Impressively, the Hogges refused to let their heads drop and had their just rewards when Jared Peniston got on the end of Damon Ming’s right-wing cross to tap home from close range on 68 minutes. But the equaliser would prove a step too far as the Hogges winless streak uncomfortably stretches on.

Co-owner Paul Scope admitted it was frustrating to watch the Hogges continually lose to technically inferior teams, but conceded they only had themselves to blame for their current plight.

“Until we piece together a complete 90-minute performance this will continue to happen.

“We can take heart we were once again the better side, but once again we come away empty handed.

“Physically we are getting fitter but we are still lacking mental fitness,”he added. “We play well for 75 minutes, but it’s the 15 minutes of madness that keeps costing us.

“The players are under no illusions how tough this league is, but we can see definite progress even if the results don’t show that.

“We know we have the all pieces in the box and we just to get them to fit the puzzle. I keep saying it, but this was never going to be an overnight success - and if it had been then it would have been a pointless exercise.”

Hogges travel to Virginia today to take on Richmond Kickers and Scope believes in the current champions they will face another footballing outfit.

“We believe they like to play a passing game and that will suit us again –maybe this time the result will go our way,”he added.

“They are probably the best team in this league so the pressure will be off us to a certain extent, so hopefully that works to our advantage.”

Bermuda Hogges J Williams D Cox D Zuill O Shakir J Scott J Peniston D Ming K Steede R Bean (R Beach 76) S Astwood (S Darrell 80) S Goater (L Holder 54)

Crystal Palace Baltimore B Rowland B Kante M Anjos S Harada A Marshall S Flores (Rush 65) J Alcala (A Ughiovhe 77) B Harkin M Mbuta (R Fucci 85) C Sherringham A Herman (L Mark 76)

Man-of-the-match –Bermuda K Steede