Devonshire Colts were given a free ride into the Friendship Trophy semi-finals after Ireland Rangers? expulsion for fielding an ineligible player in an earlier round. But after last night?s drubbing against a rampant North Village at The Den, Stan Bean?s men probably wished they?d stayed at home.

On yet another bumpy pitch and under Devonshire Rec?s horribly weak floodlights, Village were superior in every department of the game ? although Colts didn?t help their cause by sitting deep in the first 20 minutes and allowing their opponents time on the ball and the opportunity to establish a fluent passing rhythm.

Time and time again Village won cheap possession in the centre of the park, a platform from which they built some incisive attacks through some attractive football.

In Ralph Bean jr. Village have a player of excellent touch and vision, and it was he who opened the scoring after only five minutes.

Pouncing on a weak headed clearance from a Village corner, Bean caught his volley sweetly on the edge of the area and watched as it flashed through a sea of bodies into the back of the net ? giving the unsighted Colts ?keeper no chance.

The dynamic Bean then turned provider minutes later when his perfectly weighted cross from the right was met on the full by an onrushing Nakia Smith, who deftly chipped over a stranded Kevin Bean.

It was the goal of the night, and at 2-0 down after only 19 minutes, the writing was on the wall for Colts.

But to their credit, they put together some decent passages of play in the closing stages of the first half and looked significantly more comfortable on the ball.

The cutting edge of a decent final ball was consistently lacking, however, and they only looked like threatening Village?s goal at set pieces.

Colts? Darren Williams forced a good save out of Village ?keeper Zane Hendrickson from a 25-yard free kick on the left side of the penalty area ? but there was nothing to shout about besides that.

The second half started no better for Colts, as a good run down the right flank by Tyrell Burgess left the full-back for dead, before his cross cum shot was bundled over the line by Smith ? his second.

Sensing a rout, Colts coach Bean made an emergency double substitution, taking off the ineffective Terry Foote and Shannon Nusum and bringing on fresh attackers in the form of Keiman Lawrence and Omar Ray.

The latter was immediately into the action and it looked for all the world as he bore down on goal, having been placed in the clear by a delightful through ball, that the substitutions would give Colts a route back into the match.

But Ray had reckoned without the bravery of Hendrickson, who threw himself at the forward?s feet to palm the well-struck shot inches wide of his right-hand upright.

Village then went four up after an embarrassing blunder from Colts ?keeper, whose fluffed clearance fell at the feet of Keishon Bean, who made no mistake in burying the ball passed a red-faced Bean.

A clearly tired and dispirited Colts back line were all at sea for the fifth as Ralph Bean once again took advantage of some sloppy defending in the box to register his second.

Colts earned a consolation goal right at the very end as skipper Shannon Burgess converted from the penalty spot, but the humiliation was already complete.

Village coach Dwayne (Streaker) Adams said afterwards he was delighted with the overall performance.

?When you win any game 5-1, you?ve got to be happy,? he said. ?It was just one of those nights when everybody played well and everything clicked. There?s a lot of football to go until we play the final but it is still nice to be there.?

Z.Henrickson, D. Edwards, K.Dill, Kentoine Jennings, Keith Jennings, T.Outerbridge (J.Boyles 62 mins) R.Bean jr. (K.Dill 73 mins), T.Manders, N.Smith, K.Bean, T.Burgess

K.Bean, S.Burgess, D.Williams, J.Butterfield, A.Lowe, S.Waldron, S.Deitz, T.Foote (K.Lawrence 55 mins), R.Purnell, S.Nusum (O.Ray 55 mins), E.Wilkin

D.Edwards, Kentoine Jennings, Keith Jennings (North Village) S.Waldron, S.Deitz (Devonshire Colts)

R.Bean jr (North Village) S.Burgess (Devonshire Colts)

A.Mouchette