Robin Hood 3 Flanagan’s Onions

Robin Hood moved into second place behind leaders PHC Zebras with a hard-fought victory over Flanagan’s Onions at Goose Gosling Field yesterday.

Zuhri Burgess, son of former Devonshire Colts striker Aljame Zuill, gave Hood the deserved lead with a brilliant solo effort. But Onions hit back early in the second half through Treshun Smith’s neat finish in the box.

Hood found an extra gear and regained the lead when Antwan Russell buried his penalty kick after being brought down in the area.

Chris Caisey then scored the goal of the game with a thumping strike from outside of the box. John Barry Nusum, the Hood coach, had mixed feelings despite the win.

“I was not pleased with the performance but pleased to get the three points,” Nusum said. “We didn’t play the way we should have but at the end of the day we got the three points, and that’s what we came for.”

Hood dominated the first half and should have killed the game by the half.

Nusum’s side started off with a flurry and went close with striker Russell having a header from Caisey’s corner cleared off the line by Onions left back Paul Smith. Russell also had an angled shot in the box curl just wide of the far post, while Onions goalkeeper Chejon Berkeley rushed off his line twice to collect the ball under pressure from Burgess and Shakir Smith as Hood pressed for the opener.

Hood’s relentless assault finally took its toll when Burgess controlled a pass from right back Joseph Pereira, dribbled behind the Onions defence, and beat Berkeley at his near post from the tightest of angles. A mental lapse nearly saw Onions equalise against the run of play.

After a Hood attack broke down, Onions forward Treshun Smith ran into open space down the right channel on the break and crossed in the box where the unmarked Keston Lewis sliced wide from close range with only goalkeeper Jason Simons to beat.

Onions enjoyed a good spell during the closing stages of the first half and were thrown a lifeline when Lewis was fouled in the box. But after dusting himself off, the usually reliable Lewis uncharacteristically ballooned his spot kick over the bar to let Hood off the hook.

The game opened up in the second half with both teams creating chances. Onions threatened first with Simons pulling off a fine save to thwart Lewis, while at the other end Smith had a volley tipped over by Berkeley and Outerbridge blazed over after some excellent service from Lozendro Symonds.

Onions gradually gained the upper hand and after Hood defender Jason Titterton produced a timely tackle to clear from Lewis at the far post drew level through Smith’s clinical finish.

Forward Nicholas Dunkle picked out the unmarked Smith in the box who stabbed the ball past Simons. Smith’s strike lifted Onions’s spirits and they nearly went ahead when midfielder Michael Lindsey-Bailey brought off a fingertip save from Simons.

However, Hood settled down and regained the lead through Russell’s spot kick. Caisey then made the points safe with a gem of a goal. Onions came close to pulling one back right on the final whistle, with Treshun Smith’s 30-yard free kick striking the underside of the bar.

“There were a lot of things that we didn’t do that we were asking for,” Mick Ward, the Onions coach, said. “I think we need to understand in the heat of the moment when we’ve got the ball where it’s got to go.”

TEAMS

Robin Hood: J Simons — J Bather, J Titterton, J Pereira, E Outerbridge (sub: L Simmons, 68min), C Ryan, L Symonds (sub: N Figuerido, 76), C Caisey, S Smith, Z Burgess, A Russell. Substitutes not used: T Figureido.

Flanagan’s Onions: C Berkeley — P Smith (sub: M Field, 82), P Robey, M Laws, C Burns (sub: N Anglin, 77), J Cook (sub: S Swan, 70), J Higson, N Dunkle, M Lindsey, T Smith, K Lewis. Booked: P Smith. Substitutes not used: M Ward.

Referee: A Francis.