Vasco arose from a season-long slumber yesterday, just in time to lay to rest a Devonshire Colts side not showing the calibre or emotion of a team in the throes of a championship race.

Referee Frank Drayton's final whistle triggered cheers of joy and relief among Vasco fans who previously have had very little to celebrate and also went a ways toward erasing memories of last week's 4-2 loss to bottom club St.

David's.

Goals in either half by Ricky Mallory and Derek Thomas allowed Vasco to bask in the glory at the expense of Colts, who had Ellington Weldon as their sole representative on the score-sheet.

For Colts, the defeat was their first in league play since October 17, while coincidentally that date also marked the last time Vasco recorded a league victory.

However, for a while before the end of the first half, it appeared as if Colts were moving into high gear and might run away with the match. However, the interval cooled their motor while Vasco finally got their engine operating on all cylinders.

It took some time for the combatants to warm to the occasion at frigid PHC Stadium, but when they did it was Vasco lighting a fire.

In the 22nd minute, a partially cleared corner kick by Voorhees Astwood fell to midfielder Carl Ainscough, who sent in a speculative, long-range shot, which Mallory controlled near the semi-circle, turned brilliantly and drilled the ball past goalkeeper Andre Hendrickson into the low left corner.

Vasco were `pumped', but still it was Colts with the more deliberate, controlled build-ups.

They dictated the pace as Leonard Hypolite, pushed forward in midfield with the return of left-back Anthony Wilson, combined well with Mark Ray to supply their forwards.

Mallory and Irving Burgess were the chief weapons for Vasco, utilising their speed to disrupt the tempo, while Donovan Livingston and Paul Towlson held firm at the back.

A lone moment of weakness occurred, though, five minutes before the interval when Weldon was allowed to weave his way between players, enter the penalty area and place an angled shot past Keenan Tucker for the equaliser.

Resilience was shown by the home side and they were later rewarded in the form of a gift from substitue Vic Ball.

The midfielder inexplicably attempted a back-pass to sweeper Derek Wright, which fell woefully short of the mark. Mallory intercepted, drew Wright towards him, before feeding Thomas, leaving the latter to pick a spot past Hendrickson.

Ball had moments earlier replaced Jay Bean, who was carted off to the hospital via ambulance with suspected damage to ligaments in his left knee.

The loss dropped Colts from third to fourth, two points behind Dandy town and Boulevard, and four adrift of leaders North Village.

Vasco: K.Tucker; C.Lloyd, D.Livingston, P.Towlson, E.Richardson; C.Ainscough (L.Durham, 81 mins), K.Roberts, V.Astwood; I.Burgess, R.Mallory, D.Thomas.

Devonshire Colts: A.Hendrickson; A.Wilson, J.Samuels, D.Wright, D.Williams; L.Hypolite, M.Ray, J.Bean (V.Ball, 41 mins); Q.Aberdeen, E.Weldon, K.Smith (C.Smith, 72 mins).

Referee: Frank Drayton.

Men of the match: Donovan Livingston (Vasco); Quincey Aberdeen (Devonshire Colts).

RICKY MALLORY -- Goal.