X-Roads 0 Robin Hood 5

Robin Hood easily brushed aside Premier League newcomers X-Roads with a convincing victory at Garrison Field yesterday.

The win continues Hood’s impressive start to their title defence, with seven goals scored and none conceded in their first two games of the season.

X-Roads, searching for the first points of the campaign, did themselves no favours as they gave up a penalty within a minute of the start. Antwan Russell was brought down in the box by X-Roads goalkeeper Dashaun Cooper, who hesitated to come off his line to collect a Shakir Smith through-ball.

Captain Lejuan Simmons stepped up and struck the resulting spot kick firmly to the goalkeeper’s right. Ten minutes later, the Hood captain turned from scorer to provider as he clipped an in-swinging free kick from the left side of the box on to Chris Caisey, who glanced his header into the bottom corner of the far post for his second goal in as many games.

X-Roads were able to carve out a few chances of their own. The best of these came from striker Kashi Davis-Jones, who forced Hood goalkeeper Jason Simons to push his low shot off the post. The home side were fortunate not to concede a third before the break as Lozendro Symonds turned sharply on the edge of the box and released a crisp volley that brought a fine save from Cooper.

Any hopes of an X-Roads comeback were quashed when Russell sealed his team’s victory with two goals in quick succession. The first was a neat downward header from a Caisey cross from the left. The second was an opportunistic strike from close range after Simmons dribbled into the box, had his initial attempt blocked, and then slipped the rebound to Russell, who finished emphatically.

X-Roads could have easily laid down in the face of defeat but, to their credit, they continued to push for the first Premier League goal in the club’s history. It almost came courtesy of Jamin Furbert whose header clipped the top side of the crossbar from a corner. Robin Hood were able to notch a fifth, with the goal of the game. Winger Mahze Burchall, after a run down the left flank, was able to cut inside his defender into the box and curl his effort inside the far post.

TEAMS

X-Roads: D Cooper — J Furbert, K Wilkinson, A Burgess, P Parsons, J Sousa, T Daniels, K Davis-Jones, F Pacheco, A Heyliger (sub: Terencio Lowe, 85min), Teiko Lowe (sub: A Butterfield, 60). Substitutes not used:

J Burrows, E Robinson, L Simmons, M Campbell.

Robin Hood: J Simons — M Burchall, D Leverock (sub: J Titterton, 70), J Bather, J Pereira, A Russell, L Simmons, C Caisey (sub: Z Burgess, 65), C Ryan, S Smith (sub: E Outerbridge, 80), L Symonds. Substitutes not used: N Figureido.

Referee: A Francis.