Devonshire Cougars 1

Dandy Town 2

Dandy Town are up and running with their first league win of the season against Devonshire Cougars on Thursday night — and now Jomar Wilkinson, the coach, believes they can still make a run for the title.

Town, who recently reclaimed the Dudley Eve Trophy, trailed at half-time to a Drewonde Bascome penalty after 38 minutes, having played second fiddle to Cougars for most of the opening 45 minutes.

The penalty was awarded when Jah-Quille Stowe’s sliding tackle brought down Domico Coddington. Bascome’s initial kick wasn’t well placed, allowing the diving Ajai Daniels to parry the effort before Bascome followed up to score at the second attempt.

Cougars were deserving of the lead after creating more chances, though Town did come more into the game midway through the half, with Angelo Simmons putting a glancing header wide of the far post and then Clay Darrell hitting a shot on the turn just over the bar following a throw-in by Fabian Frankson, who was beginning to exert himself down the left.

Things quickly turned around in the second half for the league champions, who equalised through Simmons in the 52nd minute when he followed up to score after goalkeeper Kioshi Trott had fumbled a Seion Darrell shot.

Five minutes later, Town went ahead when full back K’wonde Lathan finished smartly from close range after pushing forward to join a Town attack down the left side.

Cougars brought on Raymond Beach, the former Town striker, for his first match of the season following a late transfer and he had a good chance in the 80th minute when the ball landed at his feet inside the box — but he blasted over the bar.

Cougars attacked frantically in the final ten minutes in a desperate attempt for an equaliser and Lathan almost gifted them a goal when he side-footed the ball inches past his own post as he tried to clear a cross.

The three points lifted Town off the bottom of the table and another win on Sunday against Southampton Rangers, who are also at the wrong end of the standings, could see them in mid-table.

“We needed to get some points on the board and it was vital that we did it today,” said a relieved Wilkinson. “In the first half we didn’t play up to par but we dug deep in the second half, picked it up and I thought thoroughly deserved to win.

“[At half-time] I reminded them that we only have a point on the board and that if we’re going to do something then we have to do it now. We still believe we can win the league.

“We’re taking one game at a time, Rangers are up next and hopefully we can get another positive result. Now we have the monkey off our back. Every game it seems we are getting stronger and stronger. We were looking for a shutout today but we didn’t get it. Defensively, I thought we did a very good job in the second half.”