Boulevard finally got their first goal of the season last weekend and now they are hoping a different competition can produce a first win when they meet Devonshire Cougars in the Friendship Trophy preliminary round on Sunday.

Boulevard are anchored at the bottom of the Premier Division and have gone nine league and cup games without a goal.

They finally got on the scoresheet last Sunday when player-coach Ian Coke scored in their 3-1 defeat to Dandy Town, although there were some positives to take from their fightback in the second half.

Town got off to the best possible start, scoring two goals in the first seven minutes before Coke’s 83rd-minute penalty kept it close and set up an interesting last few minutes.

However, Town Town killed off Boulevard’s hopes of a first point when Jahkari Furbert, scored their third in the 89th minute.

“We were chasing and trying to get our first point, so we had to go forward,” Coke said. “It happened against X-Roads as well where they capitalised late when we were in search of an equaliser.”

X-Roads won that match 2-0 when Donavan Thompson scored a goal in each half, including the clincher three minutes from the end. Against Town they were again punished in the dying minutes.

Boulevard picked up Zaire Burchall, Terreko Wilson, Jason Symonds and Enyche Zuill in the late transfer period. The new signings have given Coke some selection options.

“Once we get clicking with the numbers that we have we can get in consistent training and get more consistency,” Coke said. “We just have to change things up and try something new. We’ve played all our players, 30-something players, and still haven’t got a win.

“It’s not going to be given to us, we’re already at the bottom and there’s no further we can go down than that. Things are looking up, we know how cup games go; it’s anybody’s game when they show up on the day.”

Boulevard lost to Cougars 2-0 in their opening league match in September. They never expected to return to Devonshire Recreation Club two months later still looking for their first win. Even so, Coke says his team will be up for the challenge.

“Cougars are our crosstown rivals, that’s a big one, especially for bragging rights in the community.

“It doesn’t get any better than that. There are more organised but we have added to our fire power and hoping to make a statement, for sure.

“Our next league game will be against Somerset after that so we’re definitely looking to this to springboard us to into that match.”

Somerset, second from bottom, have already shown what a couple of wins can do as they are now in a position to move out of the relegation places when they host Boulevard on December 14.

One other Friendship Trophy preliminary round match this weekend will pit North Village against X-Roads at Bernard Park, while Hamilton Parish meet Devonshire Colts in the lone Shield preliminary match. Parish reached last year’s final, losing 2-1 to Southampton Rangers.

The Shield match starts at noon and the two Friendship Trophy matches at 2.30pm. At stake are places in the quarter-finals on December 8.