Defending league champions Vasco produced a punchless display in a farcical stalemate with bottom club Cougars, as both sides squandered a series of golden chances.

Either side could have pinched their first league win of the season but for some comical finishing right in front of goal.

In the very last minute, Vasco striker Ascento Russell sealed a fruitless afternoon at Devonshire Rec by dribbling a half-hearted shot a good yard wide -- from no more than two yards out.

He had been denied by a brilliant Ricardo Brangman save seconds earlier.

And he could do no more than glance a weak header wide of the left-hand post after Vasco's most thoughtful move of the match found him unmarked from a right-wing Kentoine Jennings cross midway through the second half.

He was hardly the only culprit for a side which is yet to fire after taking on allcomers and sweeping up four trophies last season.

Dwight Basden miraculously managed to head away from goal when an open net stared him in the face after 84 minutes. And Raynel Lightbourne was twice cursed by his team-mates for going it alone and scuffing his shots, when he had other attacking options alongside him.

Jennings plopped another point-blank header right at the feet of man-of-the-match Brangman in another Vasco fiasco in the dying minutes.

And the Cougars keeper leapt to his team's aid so many times he must surely have been the toast of his manager after the home team picked up their first point of the new campaign.

Vasco did beat him once, Russell at last finding the target after 71 minutes and slamming the ball into the centre of the goal from a Meshach Wade knock-down, only to see the effort disallowed for offside.

The champions had flattered to deceive. They were clearly slicker and faster than their Devonshire counterparts, especially after picking up the pace following a dire first half.

They made Cougars look lumbering and cumbersome. But the home side, who had faded hopelessly out of the game after the interval, had their own chances to steal a win in the dying moments.

Wali Salaam fired just over and Mark Smith saw a close-range shot blocked on the line.

But miss of the match still went to Cougars' Dwayne Bean, who watched his right foot shot spill off the outside of his boot and spin yards wide of the right hand post -- when an open net was at his mercy from eight yards and Vasco bodies were sprawled all over the penalty area.

At least it sent the fans home crying with laughter when most of the football had brought tears to the eyes.

Devonshire Cougars: R.Brangman, C.Smith, D.Trott, W.Swan (J.Smith 79 mins), S.Smith, W.Salaam, G.Dyer, G.Butterfield, M.Dill (C.Goodard 66 mins), D.Bean, M.Smith (K.Saltus 65 mins).

Vasco: S.Dupres, K.Jennings, E.Richardson, C.Roberts, D.Stapley, S.Gibbons, T.

Outerbridge (L.Durham 79 mins), O.Steede, A.Russell, D.Basden, R.Lightbourne (M.Wade 63 mins).

Referee: George O'Brien.

Men of the match: Ricardo Brangman (Cougars); Kentoine Jennings (Vasco).