YMSC 1

Tuff Dogs 1

Tuff Dogs almost completed a Corona League double over First Division opposition in the FA Cup preliminary round last night before Young Men’s Social Club rescued themselves with a second-half equaliser at Devonshire Recreation Club.

The Corona League champions matched their opponents throughout, taking the lead early in the first half before Social Club drew level seven minutes after the break to earn a replay.

Social Club had two good chances inside the first five minutes — the first from a cross before Dahlano Simons’s low shot was saved by the diving Jason Wade in the Tuff Dogs goal.

That woke up the Dogs who barked furiously with a couple of quick corners to show their intentions before embarking on a sustained period of pressure.

Milton Ferreira, the winger, wasted a good chance when slack defending allowed a ball across the Social Club backline to reach him at the far post but he blasted his effort just over the bar.

Tuff Dogs broke the deadlock from the penalty spot when left-back Donavin Durrant, the Social Club captain, was punished for a handball and Ricardo Ponte, the striker, converted from 12 yards.

Social Club struggled to find a way through as Tuff Dogs protected their lead. Marshall Iris, however, went close with a header from a Kenneth Butterfield cross after he started the move in midfield and got inside the box.

Social Club were forced to replace the injured Eugene Ball at the start of the second half after he hurt himself in a rash tackle on Aaron Brown late in the first half to earn a yellow card — one of a raft of bookings.

Persistence by Social Club finally paid dividends when they were awarded a free kick on the left side of the penalty box and Burgess drove his effort through a crowded area and into the far bottom corner.

Soon after, Tuff Dogs missed a golden chance to reclaim the lead in the 58th minute when Stanford Seepersad, the goalkeeper, saved Aaron Brown’s shot before Ponte somehow missed from inside the six-yard box with the goal at this mercy.

They were then reduced to ten men in the 67th minute when Ferreira was sent off for foul-and-abusive language just as the Tuff Dogs bench were preparing to substitute him.

After Social Club had a cross hit the near post, the lively Shawn Brown drove an effort wide as Tuff Dogs almost scored a dramatic late winner.

Now the two teams will have to do it all again when they meet in a replay at Goose Gosling Field.