N.Village 2 Dev. Colts 1

Devonshire Colts left it too late at Bernard Park yesterday and, after a hustling effort that put their previous performance to shame, saw their unprecedented run of having reached the past four FA Cup finals come to an end.

North Village, who played Colts off the park in winning 5-0 in the league last Sunday, seized the advantage in the rematch of last year's final with first-half goals by Tafari Outerbridge and Clay Smith. Lloyd Holder pulled one back early after the interval but Colts would be made to pay for not capitalising on the chances they had to test ‘keeper Dwayne Adams, who was making a surprise return to action for the home team.

Village had their moments as well, but it was the cup-holders' failure to get their danger men - Holder and Kuma Smith - into more dangerous positions that led to their downfall. As it was, the diminutive Keenan Burchall wasted two clear-cut opportunities, magnifying Colts' plight of not having scored from the midfield position yet this season, according to Shannon Burgess, the captain.

The early exchanges belonged to Village, Vernon Tankard forcing two saves from the reinstated Kevin Bean in the Colts goal within the first 10 minutes. Kimandi Binns spurned a free header and Bean again was in position to save from Tankard as the visiting team's defence struggled to cope.

Colts did not have their first shot until the 23rd minute, but Kuma Smith failed to hit the target after Quincy Aberdeen created space for him on the Village left.

Village should have had the ball in the net eight minutes later but Jamaul Boyles somehow hit the underside of the bar from six yards after Kentoine Jennings headed powerfully towards goal. Boyles' blushes were spared within two minutes as Outerbridge chased a hopeful ball by Tarik Jennings and lobbed Bean with an outstretched foot while Jermel Belboda and Burgess were undecided over who would clear.

Aberdeen tested Adams in the 39th minute with his team's first shot on goal and, from the resulting corner, the former Bermuda goalkeeper made a hash of his punch but was let off the hook by slow-reacting Colts attackers.

Then Village hit Colts with a sucker punch in the 41st minute as Outerbridge released Clay Smith who, despite Colts' appeals for offside, finished smartly.

Burchall's first chance to get on the scoresheet came on the stroke of half-time but, from no more than 10 yards, his right-foot shot never had the beating of a ‘keeper of Adams' quality, despite the fact that he is clearly out of shape.

The hard-working midfield player shot over from close range six minutes into the second half after a good move as Aberdeen began to assert himself on the left flank against Jawan Thomas.

Colts' goal, after 59 minutes, came through an endeavour that was not seen last week as Burchall and Kuma Smith won the ball back and started a move that saw Burchall release Holder, who shot hard and low across Adams.

A blood-and-guts cup tie was in the making with the tackles flying, especially from Colts. Kentoine Jennings was a giant in the heart of the Village defence, and he needed to be to win several vital challenges in the area.

Bean, in his first game back after committing the howler that prompted Colts' elimination from the Dudley Eve Trophy, further redeemed himself with a point-blank save against Boyles and then needed to be sharp to tip over a Thomas cross-shot as Village finished the stronger.

“We knew it was going to be a battle, definitely not the same game as last week,” Scott Morton, the Village coach, said. “But as long as we remained disciplined, the pressure was always going to be on them.”

Burgess, a disconsolate sight at the end, took comfort from his side's improved showing, but railed against the absence of an assistant referee's flag when Clay Smith, who enjoyed his best game in a Village strip, scored the vital second goal.

“The first goal they got was a blatant defensive error and I believe that let them in the game,” he said. “I am disappointed that we lost to an offside goal because we worked too hard for that to happen. But at the end of the day, we created enough chances to get the equaliser and we didn't.”

North Village: D.Adams; R.Spence, K.Binns, Kent.Jennings, J.Thomas; V.Tankard, M.Hansey (M.Dill, 90 mins), J.Boyles (D.Warren, 70 mins), T.Outerbridge; C.Smith, T.Jennings (Kev.Jennings, 62 mins). Substitutes not used: C.Augustus, D.Coddington. Booked: Tankard.

Devonshire Colts: K.Bean; Jermel Belboda, S.Burgess, M.Hollis, Jermaine Belboda (K.Simpson, 78 mins); K.Burchall, K.Smith, G.Gibbons (D.Zuill, 78 mins); L.Holder, C.Hill (M.Bean, 75 mins), Q.Aberdeen. Substitutes not used: A.Hendrickson, R.Douglas. Booked: Smith, Burgess.

Men of the match: Kentoine Jennings (Village); Kevin Bean (Colts).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.