Boulevard 1 North Village 3

North Village advanced to the quarter-finals of the Friendship Trophy with a win over Boulevard at Police Field yesterday.

“I felt we made the game a little harder for ourselves by not finishing them earlier, but in the end we got the job done,” Randy Spence, the Village assistant coach, said.

Village were up a goal within five minutes. Some loose defending allowed Pierre Smith to get down the right side and square a ball into the box for Jonathan Briers to tap home.

Boulevard were back on level terms through Jahzardae Samuels. The former Village midfielder received a ball on the right side of the box, and his low drive from 12 yards went in off the far post. It was no surprise when the third goal came. Keishen Bean, who was operating on the left flank, picked up a ball about 40 yards out and dribbled his way into the box. After shrugging off a few challenges, and receiving a favourable deflection off the last defender, he finished with a cheeky chip.

Boulevard almost found the equaliser through Kamali Davis, whose shot from a pull back went just wide. Neither team seemed capable of settling the ball in the second half and, consequently, struggled to create many clear-cut chances.

Village’s Pierre Smith should have done better when he pulled his shot wide. The telling blow came in the 70th minute when goalkeeper, Ronniko Burchall mishandled a seemingly harmless cross that ended up in the back of the net.

Boulevard’s frustration was clear when Aldonte Smith was booked one minute later for kicking out at his opponent after being dispossessed.

The home side could have gone down further if not for a double save by Burchall, first denying an effort from substitute Keith Jennings, and then the rebound effort from Bean.

SCORERS

Boulevard

Samuels 11

North Village

Briers 4, Bean 20, Hollis 68

TEAMS

Boulevard (4-4-2): R Burchall — J Williams, K Smith, Z Stovell, D Taylor — N Smith, J Samuels, K Davis, A Smith — T Douglas, A Famous. Booked: A Smith.

North Village (4-3-3): T Bell — J Thomas, J Davis, J Briers, T Wilson — K Knights (sub: A Johnson, 80min), T Durham (sub: K Jennings 75), M Thomas (sub L Dill 75th) — K Bean, S Hollis, P Smith. Substitutes not used: Z Hendrickson, T Fray, K Evans.

Referee: A Bailey.