Devonshire Cougars 3 BAA 2

(aet; 1-1 at 90min)

A goal from a controversial free kick decided another match this week as First Division side BAA bowed out of the FA Cup last night at Devonshire Recreation Club.

BAA came from a goal down to lead 2-1 five minutes into extra time before, with the last kick of the first half of the added period, they were then penalised when defender Calum Maule received treatment and then had to go off the field, according to Fifa rules.

He came back on immediately but without referee Anthony Francis’s permission, although BAA coach Andrew Bascome argued that the assistant referee gave him permission to return.

A free kick was awarded for the infringement on the right side of the penalty box and substitute Zari Simmons met the cross to power a header into the BAA goal from close range.

That goal sparked Cougars on and midway through the second period they scored what proved to be the winner when Domico Coddington lobbed the ball over the BAA goalkeeper Andrew Lee from the left side of the box.

It was a tough loss for BAA to take, with some of their players voicing their displeasure with the decision to the referee as Caleb McDowall and Jonas Schroder both received second yellow cards after the final whistle.

“I just thought it wasn’t in the spirit of the game,” Bascome said of the decision to penalise Maule. “It was his assistant who told my player to come on; he wasn’t disrespecting anything. At least he could have gone and talked to the assistant and clarified it.

“But you take my big centre half off the field, who I play because of his size to win air balls, and they get in a cross with him off the field and score.”

BAA were outplayed by their Premier Division opponents in the first half, the home team having most of the possession though they had only a one-goal lead to show for it.

That goal came in the 20th minute when a cross from the right by Coddington saw full back Caleb McDowall steer the ball past his own goalkeeper when under pressure from Che-Kai Caisey.

Cougars went close to doubling their lead in the 53rd minute when Drewonde Bascome fired a free kick from 25 yards just over the bar.

Gradually, BAA began to grow in confident and in the 64th minute produced an equaliser when a foul on Tre Burgess by left back Jecoa Thomas resulted in a penalty. Striker Patrick Quinn converted the spot-kick and suddenly it was a different game.

At the other end, Cougars almost reclaimed the lead when Kurtis Minors broke clear of the BAA defence but saw his shot from inside the box tipped over the crossbar by Lee.

Chances were coming now with Quinn shooting wide on the turn before Cougars had two good chances in the dying seconds to seal victory. A cross by Simmons was behind the well-placed Darrell on the edge of the six yard box and then moments later Quadir Maynard fed Darrell a good pass inside the box before he lifted his effort over the bar.

BAA stunned their hosts with a brilliant goal five minutes into the first period of extra time when McDowall curled a free kick into the far corner to make it 2-1. Unfortunate for them, Cougars were able to score a goal in each half to advance to the quarter-finals.

“I was very pleased with the performance, we don’t have too many so-called star players but we are prepared to work hard,” said Bascome, who was hoping to pull off an upset against his former team.

“We had a strategy, we wanted to be as effective as we could on set plays and also to make sure we had solid full backs. I wanted them to push themselves so that when we go up against top opposition in the First Division we know how far we can go.

“To win the FA Cup you’ve got to beat PHC, you’ve got to beat Dandy Town, so we used this as a measuring stick. But, of course, we wanted to win.”

SCORERS

Dev Cougars: McDowall og 21, Simmons 105, Coddington 112

BAA: Quinn 64 pen, McDowall 95

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars (4-3-3): K Trott 6 ‒ A Cannonier 6, Z White 6, C Caisey 6, J Thomas 6 ‒ Q Maynard 6, K Minors 6 (sub: Z Simmons 79min), D Coddington 7 ‒ D Bascome 6 (sub: M Battersbee 65, 6), C Caisey 5 (sub: D Williams 65, 6), L Simmons 5 (sub: E Darrell 46, 6). Substitutes not used: J Mouchette, C Albouy, J Wade. Booked: Maynard.

BAA (4-3-3): A Lee ‒ C McDowall 6, J Schroder 6, C Maule 7 (sub: D Hunt 84), J Lambe 5 (sub: C White 46, 6) ‒ J Duncan 6 (sub: J Adderley 57, 6), A Morris 6 (sub: S Davis 84), T Burgess 6 ‒ P Quinn 7, V Patton 6 (sub: M Donawa 86), C Summers 6. Substitutes not used: H Alexson. Booked: Schroder, Maule, McDowall. Sent off: Schroder, McDowall.

Referee: A Francis.

• The BFA announced yesterday that two FA Cup matches on Sunday between St David’s and Robin Hood and Dandy Town and Devonshire Colts have been rescheduled.

Town and Colts will play their match on Tuesday at Goose Gosling Field at 8.30pm while St David’s will take on Robin Hood on March 1 at Devonshire Rec at 8pm