St David’s 2 Paget Lions 5

Paget move one step closer to promotion with a comprehensive win over St David’s at Lord’s yesterday. Dion Stovell scored a hat-trick, while Robert Richardson and Tajae Welch also hit the back of the net for the visiting Lions. St David’s scored the first and last goals of the game though Kontai Burton and Diego McCallan.

Paget came into the match with everything to play for, but found themselves on the back foot early on when Justin Pitcher forced a save from goalkeeper Jason Smith after dribbling into the left side of the box. Burton was fastest to react to the rebound and finished with a clever overhead flick to put his team 1-0 up.

The lead would not last long however, as two minutes later Stovell was brought down in the area after robbing a defender and cutting into the box. The striker stepped up to take his own penalty and beat the keeper with a firm strike down the middle.

The skilful forward would then have his team ahead in the 16th minute when he intercepted an intended back-pass and finished calmly past the stranded keeper.

Stovell was getting in behind the defence with ease, and had several opportunities to claim his hat-trick in the first half, but goalkeeper Corey Richardson made a number of reflex saves to keep his team in it. However, he could do nothing about Richardson’s header on the stroke of half-time, from a Diaje Hart cross from the left.

It was much of the same after the interval, with Paget finding chances easy to come by, but not as easy to score. Eventually Stovell would complete his hat-trick just before the hour mark with a low strike after dribbling into the box from the right.

Paget were awarded their second penalty in the 68th minute when Stovell was brought down in the box by the goalkeeper as he attempted dribble around him. This time, Hart was given the opportunity to get his name on the scoresheet, but was denied by Richardson, who got both hands on the ball to parry away the young winger’s spot-kick.

In the 82nd minute, Welch made it 5-1 when he slotted the ball into the bottom corner from close range after combining with fellow substitute Demarlo Curtis on the edge of the box.

Diego McCallan grabbed a consolation goal when he directed cross into the top corner.

GOALS

St David’s

Burton 7, McCallan 85

Paget Lions

Stovell 9, 16, 58, Richardson 40 Welch 82

TEAMS

St David’s: C Richardson, I Creighton (sub: K Wade, 45min), J Minors, J Pitcher, K Wilson (sub: K Smith, 55), M Crockwell, D Fishenden (sub: D McCallan, 45), W Jones, G O’Brien, M Proctor, K Burton. Booked: Jones, O’Brien, Proctor.

Paget: J Smith, M Burch, J Carpenter (sub: T Welch, 65), R Richardson, J Rogers, D Dill, T Wade, D Stovell, D Smith (sub: D Curtis, 80), D Hart, T Wilkinson (sub: S Worell, 70). Substitutes not used: K Tucker, K Butterfield, N Carpenter.

Referee: C Trott