The old cliche `there's no substitute for experience' doesn't seem to apply in Hotels' case after they were hammered again by youthful opponents at Frog Lane Field.

The previous leaders, with seven players over 30 and the average age of their starting team being 31 compared to Colts' 22, followed up their 0-3 loss to PHC last weekend with this four goal thrashing at the hands of Colts who continue to share the lead with PHC.

Hotels held their own during the first half when they trailed by just a single goal, but the longer the second half went on the more they faded, though there was a period in the second half when they looked like coming back.

Hotels were the first on the attack, as Eugene (Hammer) Simmons' second minute corner resulted in the ball dropping on top of the crossbar. Minutes later a freekick on the right edge of the penalty box by Clifton Anderson was driven just past the far post.

Gradually Colts, missing Keenan Burchall and Quincey Aberdeen through injuries, began to offer some resistence as Keishon Smith shot weakly at keeper Randy Darrell in his team's first chance in the ninth minute.

Hotels fullback Derek Scott had his name taken in the 14th minute for a foul on Smith and then two minutes later Colts midfielder Mark (Beaver) Ray went into referee Esten Curtis' book for gesturing at the referee after thinking he should have had a penalty for handball when his shot was blocked inside the area.

Ray had a big hand in Colts' opener in the 26th minute. He played a ball forward for Ellington Weldon from the halfway line and then raced through the Hotels defence to take a timely, and perfectly weighed pass, from Weldon to get inside the penalty box.

The midfielder was brought down from behind by Philip Smith and Curtis had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Weldon strode up to place his spotkick low to the right of the diving Darrell.

The second half was only three minutes old when Weldon scored his and his team's second goal, sidefooting past Darrell from close range after meeting a cross from Craig Smith on the left.

It wasn't long before Hotels started to argue amongst themselves, but they also started to put Colts under pressure during this period as Myron Piper and Coolridge Bell picked up their games.

Keishon Smith fouled Scott on the far side and from the freekick Scott drove the ball through the Colts defence for Piper to race through unchecked to get onto the pass. He attempted to lob the ball over the advancing keeper Andre Hendrickson who managed to get his fingers to the ball to tip it over the bar.

Three substitutions were made in the 66th minute with Yul Wade coming on for Keishon Smith for Colts and Colin Landy and Coley Robinson replacing Troy Bassett and Vincent Chaves. That forced Hotels to make a tactical move with Robinson going to rightback and Derek Bell switching flanks to accomodate Scott who moved into the attack.

That only lasted four minutes before Hotels coach Clevie Wade decided it would be best to leave Bell marking Craig Smith who was already giving Robinson trouble.

Weldon missed a good chance to complete his hat-trick in the 72nd minute when he passed to Smith when well placed and then put the resulting cross over the bar. But goals in the 74th and 75th minutes put paid to any hopes of a Hotels fightback.

Wade, celebrating his 25th birthday, drove in the third as the ball took an awkward bounce before getting past Darrell. A minute later Ray beat Darrell from close range after following up on a freekick.

Darrell made a good save to deny Weldon his hat-trick in the 85th minute before Craig Smith shot into the side netting and then put another effort wide in the final two minutes.

Devonshire Colts: A.Hendrickson; J.Samuels, C.Wright, D.Wright, J.Belboda; V.Ball (J.Bean 45 min), M.Ray, L.Hypolite; E.Weldon, C.Smith, K.Smith (Y.Wade 66 min).

Hotels: R.Darrell; D.Bell, P.Smith, F.Greaves, D.Scott; M.Piper, E.Simmons, C.Bell; C.Anderson, V.Chaves (C.Robinson 66 min), T.Bassett (C.Landy 66 min).

Men of the match: Mark Ray (Devonshire Colts), Myron Piper (Hotels).

Referee: Esten Curtis.