Somerset Trojans 1

Dandy Town 0

Justin Corday’s sublime strike proved to be the difference in this scrappy Premier Division clash featuring the champions from the past two seasons at Somerset Cricket Club yesterday.

In a match that saw both teams squander a plethora of opportunities, Corday earned the hosts the points with a textbook lob over Cymande Davis, the Dandy Town goalkeeper, late in the second half.

Trojans carved out plenty of chances and should have long put Hornets out of their misery by half-time.

But poor finishing in the attacking third and a penalty shout which fell on deaf ears left the door open for the visitors, who nearly cashed in with Damon Ming and substitute Temiko Wilson striking the crossbar.

However, Trojans would not be denied in the end and in truth were thoroughly deserving of winning a match that was certainly not one for the football purist.

“I am happy that the players gave it their all,” Danvers Seymour, the Trojans coach, said. “That’s all I ask for and the results drop where they may.”

The victory was Trojans’s first of the league season while Town, the champions, remain winless after losing their opening three matches of the new campaign.

“We are creating chances but not converting them and I think that is the problem,” Jomar Wilkinson, the Town coach, said. “We have to be more clinical around the goal and defensively we have to be a bit more organised at times.”

Somerset bossed the first half but had nothing to show for their dominance at the break.

Corday had an effort saved by Davis and then an appeal for a penalty after going down in the box ignored by referee Lionel Cann, making his debut in the middle at this level.

The hosts suffered a setback in the eleventh minute when Jaden Ratteray-Smith, the midfielder, pulled a hamstring and was replaced by Vernon Perinchief.

Town enjoyed a good spell midway through the opening period with Eusebio Blankendal curling over on his team’s first real attack while Trevin Ming, the Trojans captain, cleared Jahmel Swan’s close range effort off the line.

Trojans caught their second wind just before the interval but wasted three good looks at goal.

Alton Trott, the Trojans midfielder, got behind the Town defence but dragged wide while Tahj Wade, the winger, blasted Corday’s corner over, and then headed Tajrae Outerbridge’s diagonal cross wide right on the half time whistle.

Town came out swinging at the start of the second half with Ming crashing a 25-yard free kick onto the crossbar with Shaquille Bean, the Trojans goalkeeper, well beaten.

Kor-Von Tucker then side footed Angelo Simmons’s pullback in the box wide as Town sought to capitalise on their promising start.

Trojans eventually regained their poise and went agonisingly close when Corday rolled a shot inches wide of the far post during a quick raid down the right flank.

Both teams continued to chisel out chances as the game opened up with Simmons, the Town captain, having an effort scrambled by Trott off the line while Jonathan Bean, the Trojans striker, failed to convert a breakaway.

Corday’s hard work rate finally paid off when he popped up to score the winner for the home team.

Coolidge Durham, the Trojans centre back, picked out Corday with a long pass from his own half which the latter did well to control before lobbing over the onrushing Davis into the open net.

Town went close to grabbing an equaliser when Wilson headed Ming’s corner onto the bar while Simmons had another effort saved.

Bean could have killed the game off to spare the hosts some anxiety in the closing minutes. However, the striker’s close range effort was cleared away at the near post.

TEAMS

Scorers

Somerset (Corday 73)

Somerset Trojans (4-3-3): S Bean — K Wilson, C Durham, T Ming, T Outterbridge (sub: D Lister, 75min) — S Brangman, J Ratteray-Smith (sub: V Perinchief, 11), A Trott — T Wade, J Corday, J Bean. Substitutes not used: H Butterfield, A Seaman, R Cann, D Swan, D Woods. Booked: Corday, Durham, Perinchief.

Dandy Town (3-5-2): C Davis — C Burgess, S Darrell, K Tucker — L Tucker, K Lathan, J Swan, K Davis (sub: T Wilson, 75), D Ming — E Blankendal (sub: D Bascome, 65), A Simmons. Substitutes not used: K Wade, J Amory, N Smith. Booked: K Davis, Burgess.

Referee: L Cann