Young Men’s Social Club 1 Flanagan’s Onions 4

Flanagan’s Onions comfortably brushed aside Young Men’s Social Club to pick up their first win of the season at Police Field yesterday.

The visitors simply dominated this Premier Division contest which saw a player from each team receive his marching orders as tempers boiled over right on the stroke of half-time.

Social Club midfielder Kelvon Butterfield received a straight red card for spitting while Onions’ Shaki Swan received a straight red card for violent conduct.

Onions led 2-0 at the half with goals from Keston Lewis and Markez Laws before adding two more goals in the second through Trey Smith and another from Lewis.

Clay Darrell scored Social Club’s consolation and first goal in the top flight in nearly four decades.

The home side had a golden opportunity to further reduce the deficit shortly after Darrell scored. However, Onions goalkeeper Chejon Berkeley made a reflex save to deny Social Club substitute Kenneth Butterfield from point-blank range during a goalmouth scramble.

Mick Ward, the Onions coach, praised his players for executing the game plan.

“I said before the game we had to get the three points today to kick on and we got that,” Ward said. “Obviously, there was a scenario at the end of the first half which both teams could have done without. I thought we fully deserved the victory and was thoroughly impressed with the way the boys played and took on the roles and responsibilities.

“Our goalkeeper made a cracking save after they scored to really keep us in it. That save was key otherwise that would have really given them a boost.”

Onions blew two early chances to put their noses in front.

Striker Lewis had an initial close-range effort saved by Social Club goalkeeper Reid Trott and ballooned the rebound over the bar.

Lewis then whipped in a cross that Nicholas Dunkle scooped over from inside the six-yard box.

Those glaring misses nearly came back to haunt Onions when Social Club striker Darrell fired inches wide from a tight angle during his team’s first real attack.

Social Club suffered a setback in the 22nd minute when left back Callan Che Woolridge injured his elbow in a tackle with Lewis and was taken by ambulance to hospital for treatment.

By now Onions were all over their opponents and the goal that their dominance warranted finally arrived when Lewis latched onto defender Peter Robey’s goal kick down the right side, took a few touches and fired past Trott.

Onions added a second just before the interval, defender Laws going forward for Trey Smith’s free kick which he drilled past Trott from close range. Tempers flared right on the half-time whistle with Butterfield and Swan both sent off for bringing the game into disrepute.

The second half flowed pretty much in the same vein with Onions in full control and a disorganised and undisciplined Social Club unravelling at the seams.

Onions pulled further away when Lewis grabbed a second to make it 3-0. The Trinidadian calmly controlled Michael Bayley’s cross and squeezed his shot inside of the near post.

Darrell pulled one back for the home side moments later with a well-taken goal. The striker gained possession just outside of the box, created just enough space for himself and fired a low shot past Berkeley.

Social Club substitute Butterfield then missed a glaring chance when scoring seemed easier. Smith restored Onions’ three-goal cushion when he scored from a 30-yard free kick.

GOALS

Social Club

Darrell 72

Flanagan’s Onions

Lewis 33, 70, Laws 40, Smith 78

TEAMS

Social Club: R Trott — C Woolridge (Sub: C Burgess, 23min: sub: M Young, 60), M Smith, A Samuels, K Francois, M Rudo, G Saltus, P Darrell, Kelvon Butterfield, N Armstrong (sub: Kenneth Butterfield, 60), C Darrell. Booked: C Darrell. Sent off: Kelvon Butterfield. Substitutes not used: T Caines, K Rawlings, J Simmons, A Purnell, K Lightbourne.

Flanagan’s Onions: C Berkeley — P Smith, P Robey, M Laws, C Burns, J Higson (sub: J Cook, 73), S Swan, M Lindsey-Bailey (sub: M Brewer, 73), N Dunkle (sub: M Aden, 63), T Smith, K Lewis. Sent off: Swan. Substitutes not used: N Anglin.

Referee: A Francis.