Somerset Eagles 2 North Village 3

Somerset Eagles’ stay in the Premier Division came to an end yesterday after they lost to North Village at White Hill field.

Eagles, who needed Flanagan’s Onions to slip up against Devonshire Colts to stand any chance beating relegation, fought valiantly against the third-placed North Village, even taking the lead twice through Khimo Harrison and Geno Smith.

But Village, who had challenged for the title until tailing off late on in the season, found a late winner off the boot of Keishen Bean.

Knowing that their Premier Division status was under serious threat, Eagles came out focused and played with purpose and endeavour and so they were rewarded in the 23rd minute.

Anwar Telford was brought down as he raced to connect with a ball played across the penalty box from Kanhai Fray, and the referee Anthony Francis pointed to the spot.

Harrison, the Eagles’ midfielder, stepped up and put his effort past Terryn Fray, a customary defender who was deputising in goal for Village.

However, the referee then ordered it to be retaken because of encroachment. Harrison then duly converted his second effort as well, to give the home side the lead.

Harrison’s goal was just what the Eagles’ supporters had been hoping for. However, Village would soon throw a wrench into Eagles’ great-escape plan.

Eagles’ defence had been doing a good job of keeping the Village attack under wraps in the early stages of the first period.

However, in the 34th minute, after a mistake from the Eagles backline, Village winger Lashun Dill was able to get away from his marker and drill a low shot from just inside the area.

Eagles once again took control of the game and were able to make their pressure pay off as they took the lead for the second time, in the 66th minute.

After a goalmouth scramble, Geno Smith, the Eagles’ defender, poked the ball into the net, in spite of the best efforts of Fray.

The referee was somewhat unsure whether the ball had crossed the line and consulted with his assistant before awarding the goal.

Zenawi Bowen, a second-half substitute for Village, then tapped home a rebound from Keishen Bean’s powerful shot, in the 63rd minute.

In the 80th minute, Eagles’ defender Marcus Iris-Simmons made a great overlapping run, and received a diagonal pass out wide, and ran unchallenged into the box.

With the chance to give his side a 3-2 lead, late on, Iris-Simmons seemingly lost his composure and fired off an angled shot, which hit the side netting.

Village turned around and scored three minutes later. Keishen Bean, found himself in almost in a similar position that Iris-Simmons had been in, but the Village captain was able to keep his cool and provide a clinical finish.

Bean’s goal put Village in front for the first time in the match and proved to be the decisive goal in the match.

Roger Lee, the Eagles assistant coach, said, “I think that this game has been the story of our season.

“We haven’t been taking our chances. We have been creating the chances, which is good, but we haven’t been capitalising on them.

“I think we have been playing good football, though.

“We have had a lot of draws this season, especially, in the second half of the season.

“We have been competitive this season, but I think we drew some games that were winnable, and so it just wasn’t to be.”

SCORERS

Somerset Eagles

Harrison 23 pen, Smith 67

North Village

Dill 34, Bowen 73, K Bean 83

TEAMS

Somerset Eagles (4-5-1): L Lambert — K Evans (sub: D Riley-Clarke, 63min), G Smith, R Quinn, M Iris-Simmons — L Burch (sub: A Bean, 69), K Harrison, A Telford, S Lambert, J Simmons (sub: R Seaman, 55) — K Fray. Substitutes not used: D Simmons, J Santos. Booked: Iris-Simmons.

North Village (3-4-3): T Fray — K Knights (sub: Z Bowen, 46), J Briars, J Harvey — J Davis, A Furbert, K Bean, L Dill — N Smith (sub: D Daniels, 46), R Bean, K Dill. Booked: Smith, Harvey, Lashun Dill.

Referee: A Francis.