Devonshire Cougars 4 Somerset Trojans 1 (AET)

Devonshire Cougars needed three extra-time goals to edge past Somerset Trojans in the FA Cup at Devonshire Rec on Sunday.

Trojans opened the scoring in the 30th minute through Justin Corday’s sublime 25-yard free kick only for Cougars to level with six minutes remaining when Elisha Darrell swept home from close range after a flowing move down the right-hand side.

Building on that late effort, Cougars struck twice in the early stages of extra time to all but put the game beyond Trojans. Jayori Fox first volleyed home at the back post just two minutes after the restart to put his side in front with Domico Coddington adding a third in similar fashion five minutes later.

Cougars added a fourth in the 112th minute when Demetre Daniels struck from close range to complete the turnaround and seal his side’s place in the next round.

“The coach gave us a bit of a pep talk at half time and thankfully we came out in the second half and started playing a lot better,” said Cougars captain Zeko White.

“We managed to grow into the game; we could sense it was going to come and it was just a matter of time. I think our fitness played a big part.

“We always knew it was going to be a tough game because of past meetings against Trojans. Thankfully we finally managed to settle down and play our game.”

It was Trojans who settled better in the early stages with Corday calling Jerez Eve into action in the fifth minute to tip over his looping header and Jaheim Iris fired narrowly over five minutes later following an incisive one-two with Corday on the edge of the area.

Trojans were rewarded for their pressure when Corday broke the deadlock with an expertly executed free kick, curling a right-footed effort beyond the reach of Eve and into the bottom-left corner.

Cougars came out for the second half with renewed vigour and finally began to get a foothold in the match.

Coddington spurned a golden chance when slicing an effort wide of the post from inside the area in the 53rd minute before another opportunity passed two minutes later as White hooked over the bar on the stretch from eight yards out.

Cougars continued pouring forward as the game entered the final ten minutes with Darrell heading narrowly wide before Coddington went agonisingly close to equalising as his driven shot cannoned back off the post.

But their persistence finally paid off with just six minutes remaining when Daniels found Che’Kai Caisey in acres of space down the right. His driven ball across the goalmouth picked out Darrell, who swept home past Jade Morrissey.

Just four minutes later Cougars should have gone ahead as Fox spurned a golden opportunity. A poor clearance from Morrissey fell straight to the forward, who under no pressure and with only the goalkeeper to beat, sent a rushed lobbed effort over the bar.

He made amends two minutes into extra time when getting on the end of Darrell’s pinpoint cross to the back post to beat Morrissey with a close-range volley.

With Trojans still reeling from going behind, Cougars added a third in almost identical fashion as Darrell again turned provider, picking out Coddington to bundle home at the back post.

With the outcome of the match all but beyond doubt, Daniels scored a fourth, receiving the ball inside the area from the right before firing a low shot past Morrissey to wrap up victory.

SCORERS

Devonshire Cougars: Darrell 84, Fox 92, Coddington 97, Daniels 112

Somerset Trojans: Corday 30

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars (4-5-1): J Eve 6 – Che’Kai Caisey 7, N Furbert 7, Chris Caisey 8, Jecoa Thomas 7 – L Simmons 7 (sub: J Fox, 67min 6), J Brimmer 6 (sub: J Furbert-Wade, 105), D Daniels 7, J Wade 6 (sub: Z White, 45 7), D Coddington 6 (sub: N Simmons, 110) – E Darrell 7. Substitutes not used: K Darrell. Booked: Wade, Eve

Somerset Trojans (4-5-1): J Morrissey 6 – J Gooden 6, M Joell 6, M Nisbett-Tankard 6 (sub: A Morrissey, 98), J Greaves 6 – T Ming 7 (sub: D Swan-Dasilva, 60 6), D Ming 6, K Joyiens 6 (sub: J Shields, 81), J Rattery-Smith 6, J Iris 7 (sub: S Burrows, 45 7) – J Corday 7. Substitutes not used: D Swan, E Mendes. Booked: Gooden.