Flanagan’s Onions 3 Devonshire Colts 1

Flanagan’s Onions maintained their top-flight status after two goals in the space of a minute late in the first half gave them victory at Goose Gosling Field against already relegated Devonshire Colts.

Despite a 3-0 deficit at the interval, Colts did not give up the points easily, knowing they could have a say in who would join them in the First Division next season.

An early second-half goal by substitute Kyle Jones gave Colts a lift but a couple of important saves from goalkeeper Stephen Gould preserved Onions’ two-goal lead.

Onions, promoted last season with Somerset Eagles, knew a win would make them safe regardless of the result in Eagles’ match with North Village at White Hill Field, which Eagles lost 3-2.

“I didn’t really want to know [the score] to be honest, we needed to focus on what we were doing,” Mick Ward, the Onions coach, said.

“In the first half I thought we played some good stuff, but in the second half we knew they were going to come out fighting and they did.

“We didn’t care what was happening with Eagles, we had a job to do here and we had to make sure we stayed focused and fought to the end. The boys did that and I’m very proud of them today.

“We were in the Premier Division for three years, went down and came straight back up, so I would like to see us stay there for a bit longer than three years.

“We could have done better this season, we should have had more points on the board and our performances warranted it. We shouldn’t have been in the position we were today, but sometimes that’s football.”

Treshun Smith, a former Colts player, helped ease the early nerves for the home team when he netted the opener, driving home a low shot from a Shaki Swan cross from the right.

Callon Burns had a good chance to double the lead in the 34th minute when he lobbed the goalkeeper Gregory Rose, but the effort lacked power and direction and was held up by the wind.

Onions finished the half with a flurry when two quick goals gave them a comfortable 3-0 lead.

Midfielder Peter Robey pushed forward to stroke home a low shot in the 45th minute and then in injury-time Burns found the net after a good move down the left.

Colts came out fighting in the second half with striker Kyle Jones coming on and quickly causing problems for the Onions defence with his strength and pace.

Jones scored the best goal of the game seven minutes into the second half when he controlled the ball on the edge of the “D” and with Martel Laws breathing down his neck, turned and drove a perfect low shot inside Gould’s near post.

That strike breathed new life into Colts who enjoyed a good share of the possession. A through ball by Eli Smith sent Jones clear of the defence but Gould was quickly outside of his penalty area to make an important block.

Colts suffered a setback in the 72nd minute when full back De’Andre Ball was sent off for a second yellow card. However, even with ten men they made it interesting — and sometimes uncomfortable for their opponents — as they kept Onions under pressure for a long period.

Gould made an outstanding save from a shot from Lozendro Symonds in the closing minutes. The son of former Colts and Bermuda captain, Symonds, picked up possession in the Onions half, turned and surged forward towards the edge of the box before unleashing a shot that was heading into the roof of the net before Gould tipped it over the crossbar.

SCORERS

Flanagan’s Onions

T Smith 13, Robey 45, Burns 45+1

Devonshire Colts

K Jones 52

TEAMS

Flanagan’s Onions (4-3-3): S Gould — J Scott, M Laws, G Muir, A Brown — P Robey, M Lindsey-Bailey, S Swan (sub: D Thompson, 85min) — K Lewis, C Burns (sub: M Aden, 72), T Smith. Substitutes not used: C Berkeley, M Ward, P Smith. Booked: Laws, Lewis.

Devonshire Colts (4-3-3): G Rose — D Ball, K Wilkinson, J Butterfield (sub: J Paynter, 60), A Hart — J Burgess (sub: D Wainwright, 70), M Isaac, L Symonds — E Smith, D Lambe (sub: K Jones, 46), R Jones. Substitutes not used: J Maybury, D Davis, S Mitchell, J Caisey. Sent off: Ball.

Referee: R Ming.

n PHC Zebras thrashed Dandy Town 5-0 in a valiant attempt to overhaul Robin Hood’s superior goal difference on the final day of the Premier Division season.

Zebras hefty win was still not enough, with Hood — the league champions — boasting a goal difference of plus 13 before yesterday’s matches.

PHC’s victory denied Town a spot in the Dudley Eve Trophy next season, with Boulevard snatching the final place of the competition after defeating Hood 1-0 at Police Field. PHC finished level on points with Hood.

Cecoy Robinson, Marco Warren and Idrees Sharrieff scored first-half goals as PHC led Town 3-0 at the interval at PHC Field. Warren added a second with Keishon Bean also scoring after the break.