Young Men’s Social Club 1 X-Roads 4

X-Roads’ ambitions of a mid-table finish in their first Premier Division season took a giant step forward with a comfortable victory over cellar-dwellers, Young Men’s Social Club at Police Field yesterday.

Coming off a 7-3 thrashing over Boulevard, X-Roads leapfrogged over Boulevard into sixth place with five league games remaining.

Two goals in each half secured the win and kept Social Club anchored at the foot of the table with a very slim chance of survival.

“We fought hard and had a positive game today,” said Farid El Karfa, the X-Roads coach, after a victory that extended their unbeaten run to four games. “I am happy with the result.”

X-Roads opened the scoring early when Khylais Rawlings conceded a reckless foul at the edge of the box.

Jahmel Swan was given the task of a simple tap in from the resulting free-kick.

Social Club almost equalised a few minutes later when Jahmair Lewis-Trott sent Clay Darrell down the right wing with a nicely weighted pass. The speedster dribbled and cut inside to unleash a shot, but it went into the side netting.

One-touch football by four Social Club players led to their only goal. Kevin Arruda got the last touch to Darrell who headed the ball over his marker before running around him and blasted his shot pass X-Roads keeper Jez Burrows. However, the goal only ignited X-Roads. It was no surprise when they took the lead for good, having benefited from another reckless Social Club foul. Goalkeeper Reid Trott blocked the initial shot from the resulting free-kick, but Tymon Daniels followed up the rebound and slammed his shot through Trott’s legs and into the net.

The home side almost scored early in the second half when Saki Tuzo met Callan Che Woolridge’s diagonal cross in mid-air, only to side-foot the ball over the top from eight yards.

X-Roads put the game to rest with their third when Teiko Lowe’s corner to the back post was headed back into the middle, where Kashi Davis-Jones was left unmarked and headed the ball in from close range.

Davis-Jones scored his second in stoppage time when he was on the receiving end of good build-up play and dribbled into the box before planting his shot pass the stranded goalkeeper.

GOALS

Social Club

Darrell 15

X-Roads

Swan 3, Daniels 38, Davis-Jones 60, 90+2 pen

TEAMS

Social Club (4-3-3): R Trott — L Doughty, K Rawlings, K Butterfield, C C Woolridge — P Mallory (sub: M Rudo, 65), J Lewis-Trott, K Arruda — C Darrell, S Tuzo (sub: D Adams, 72), N Armstrong (sub: J Simmons, 60). Substitutes not used: G Saltus, D Hill. Booked: Doughty, Darrell.

X-Roads (4-1-4-1): J Burrows — O Williams, J Furbert, K Wilkinson, A Burgess — T Daniels — J Swan, K Davis-Jones, J Sanchez (sub: T Lowe h-t) — R Beek (sub: M McGowan, 55th min) — K Brangman. Substitutes not used: D Cooper, K Talbot, J Gonzales. Booked: O Williams.

Referee: A Bailey.