Boulevard 4 Devonshire Cougars 2

Boulevard picked up their first win of the season when they came from two goals down in the second half to win a controversial match at Goose Gosling Field yesterday.

Devonshire Cougars blew a 2-0 lead given to them by Koshun Durrant and Shaki Pearman in the first 11 minutes of the second half. However, a match that looked like heading for another loss for Boulevard suddenly turned as the home side struck three times in a thirteen-minute period to take a surprise 3-2 lead.

Two of the goals came after referee Anthony Francis allowed play to continue from what Cougars thought were fouls in the build-up, but were further disappointed when Shaki Pearman scored from inside the centre circle from the kick-off after the second goal, only to have the effort ruled out.

Francis called it back because a Boulevard player was inside the Cougars half at the kick-off.

Boulevard went on to seal the win with two more goals in the final four minutes.

The four goals in the 90 minutes were twice as many as Boulevard had scored in their 12 previous league games this season.

The win leaves them ten points from safety with five games remaining, but player coach Ian Coke, who missed a first half penalty, insists they are not giving up the fight just yet.

“There always a chance and that’s how we’re living with it, everything is on the line and we’ll leave it all out on the field,” he said.

“I’m not going to lie, this is one of the games where everything was going our way.

“Even when the penalty came and I missed it, I still felt we were in total control of the game. The better team did come out with the victory, for sure.”

The drama started in the nineteenth minute when Enyche Zuill was fouled in the box by fullback Dennis Williams. However, Coke fired the penalty against the crossbar.

Cougars broke the deadlock six minutes into the half when a cross from Jahzardae Samuels sent Koshun Durrant through on the right side. He got inside the box before scoring past Harvey from an angle.

The visiting side doubled their lead five minutes later when Pearman scored from a corner on the left.

However, just when it looked like Cougars would stroll to an easy win, the match turned in Boulevard’s favour with Zaire Burchall scoring from close range in the 63rd minute, the Cougars bench furious when Francis ignored their calls for a foul in the build-up.

Six minutes later the Cougars lead was wiped out when Coke was fouled inside the box by Simmons after a run down the left flank. This time Zuill took the penalty and scored.

However, Pearman had a goal from the kick-off called back after chipping a shot from the centre circle over the head of the goalkeeper who was off his line.

There was further shock in the Cougars camp when the goal was disallowed because a Boulevard player was in the Cougars half.

Boulevard dug deep to score two late goals to secure a rare victory.

Coke took a pass from substitute Takeyhi Walker, ran down the flank and crossed into the six-yard box where Burchall converted his second goal of the game at the far post. In the final minute, the victory was sealed when defender Antoine Famous ran down the right and scored from close range, after Cougars’ appeals for a foul in the build-up were dismissed.

SCORERS

Boulevard: Burchall 63, 86, Zuill 69, Famous 90

Devonshire Cougars: Durrant 51, S Pearman 56

TEAMS

Boulevard(4-3-3): A Harvey — A Famous, J Williams, T Stovell, Z Stovell — N Smith, D Taylor (sub: T Walker, 77), Z Burchall — K Easton (sub: J Symonds, 59), I Coke, E Zuill. Substitutes not used: N Eversley, N Augustus, T Butterfield, Y Darrell. Booked: I Coke, Z Stovell.

Devonshire Cougars (4-3-3): A Daniels — D Williams, A Samuels, Z Simmons, Zekiro White — C Caisey, J Fox, J Samuels — K Durrant, N Simmons, S Pearman. Substitutes not used: K Trott, C Albuoy, J Wade, R Young, K Mills-Wilson, N Carmichael.

Referee: A Francis.