Somerset Trojans 3 Hamilton Parish 1

Somerset Trojans advanced to the Dudley Eve Trophy semi-finals at the expense of new coach Keishon Smith’s former club Hamilton Parish in the group stage at Bernard Park yesterday.

Daunte Woods gave Somerset a deserved lead which they took into the dressing room at the interval. Ashaun Smith then doubled Somerset’s lead when he scored just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute.

Patrick Richardson pulled one back for Parish to set up an exciting finish.

But Somerset restored their two-goal cushion when substitute Tahj Wade scored in stoppage-time to kill the game off.

Somerset’s victory eliminated winless Parish and sent them and PHC Zebras through to the last four.

The West Enders’ triumph also enabled them to replace idle Zebras at the top of group A. Somerset will face PHC in their final group match which will determine the group winner and who will face the runner-up from group B in the semi-finals.

Somerset’s hard-fought victory against a gutsy Parish side was coach Smith’s first since taking over from Danvers Seymour Jr Trojans lost to Dandy Town in last weekend’s Charity Cup.

“We got the job done today and it feels good,” Trevin Ming, the Somerset captain, said. “Our first game was a wake-up call and we wanted to make it count for the second game. Parish showed a lot of heart and we anticipated that before the game.”

Somerset took the match to their opponents from the kick-off and should have opened their account when Leo Burgess, the winger, slipped a pass across the face of the goal that Woods, the striker, completely miskicked.

Parish responded at the other end with Shaquille Bean, the Somerset goalkeeper, pushing Richardson’s volley around the post.

Somerset were more organised than their rivals in the early stages and it came as no real surprise when they took the lead through Woods who side footed Burgess’s pull back past Dill to make amends for an early miss.

Woods got behind the Parish defence again just before half-time but dragged his shot wide under pressure from Yannick Dill, the Parish centre back.

Despite falling in arrears Parish continued to enjoy swathes of possession and create chances of their own, the best of the half falling to Tareek Webb who should have done better with a free header.

Parish started the second half with more purpose and urgency and came close on a few occasions to grabbing an early equaliser.

Richardson had a crisp volley saved by Bean and then just failed to get his head to Creighton’s well-weighted cross. Somerset blew two golden opportunities to increase their advantage, Jensen Rogers, the centre back, dragged Jaz Ratteray-Smith’s pull back in the box wide and then Woods placed a free header from a set piece over the bar.

Ayshaun Smith came on the hour mark and minutes later doubled Somerset’s lead when he rolled the ball under the advancing Dill after being played through by Burgess.

Just seconds after Smith had increased Somerset’s lead, however, Parish’s pressure paid off as Richardson rose in the middle to head a cross past Bean and give his team a foot hold in the match.

Somerset substitute Wade was denied twice by the woodwork. But the dreadlocked forward would not be denied a third time as he headed into an empty net.