Champions Devonshire Colts were denied a second taste of the First Division leadership when Boulevard pegged them back with goals in each half at BAA Field on Saturday night.

It would have been a lead Colts would still be holding onto today as Vasco, like Colts, crashed to their first loss of the season. The race for the top spot tightened with only two points now separating the first three teams.

The deadlock in this fast-paced game was broken in the 12th minute when Vernon Eve scored from a free shot on goal after Neil Robinson created an opening down the left and saw his low hard shot ricochet off a defender. Eve pounced to beat goalkeeper Troy Hall with a first-time shot.

Colts' best chance came in the 22nd minute when Jermaine Belboda swung a cross over from the left but Vic Ball's weak shot was put wide of the post.

With captain Shannon Burgess and Mark (Beaver) Ray prominent in midfield, the game began to open up as Colts began to create more openings. A free kick on the left by Belboda was met at the far post by Keishon Smith whose header was tipped over the bar by Mitchell Steede in the Boulevard goal.

At the other end Rodney Bascome put an angled shot across goal and past the far post as Boulevard started to hit back late in the half. But it was Colts who went closest in the dying moments of the half when Ray saw his curling shot just miss the woodwork.

Colts kept the momentum going in the second half as they brought on Keimon Lawrence for Tito Smith after 50 minutes. However, failure to convert chances proved fatal as Boulevard, against the run of play, found the net a second time to cushion their lead in the 76th minute.

A cross was swung in from the right by Dwight Warren and the ball dropped at the feet of Stevie Wade. After Derek Wright missed with his attempted header, Wade kept his calm to score easily past Hall from six yards.

Wade wasted a good chance in the last minute when, with space on the edge of the box, he blasted his shot wide. At the other end Colts also squandered a couple of good opportunities to cut the Boulevard lead.

Boulevard had to make two substitutions because of injuries late in the match, player-coach Herbie Bascome replacing Donnie Charles in the 72nd minute and Vernon Phillips coming on for the limping Rodney Bascome five minutes from the end.

Dev.Colts: T.Hall; Jermel Belboda (S.Waldron 90 mins), M.Hollis, D.Wright, Jermaine Belboda; S.Burgess, M.Ray, V.Ball (O.Butterfield 67 mins), J.Samuels, K.Smith, T.Smith (K.Lawrence 50 mins) Boulevard: M.Steede; D.Boyles, D.Charles (H.Bascome 72 mins), L.Stevens, A.Caisey; A.Bascome, N.Robinson, D.Warren, V.Eve (A.Brown 74 mins), R.Bascome (V.Phillips 85 mins), S.Wade.

Referee: George O'Brien.

Men of match: Shannon Burgess (Colts), Neil Robinson (Boulevard).

Hotels and Devonshire Cougars will both be looking to move two places up the standings when they meet tonight at Devonshire Rec. (8.00).

Hotels are presently sixth but their third straight victory would move them to fourth, three points behind the leaders, while Cougars are presently last and can move off the bottom with their first victory of the season.