Robin Hood 7 Boulevard 2

Robin Hood closed out their league campaign with a convincing victory over Boulevard Blazers at Goose Gosling Field, securing a second-place finish in the process. Lejuan Simmons helped himself to a hat-trick, while Shakir Smith scored a brace and Antwan Russell and Arnezha Astwood chipped in with one a piece. Aldonte Smith and Khiry Easton were the goalscorers for Boulevard.

Robin Hood coach John Barry Nusum was pleased with the result and is looking forward to the FA Cup final, when they face Southampton Rangers at the National Stadium on Sunday.

“With a first place finish being very unlikely, we just wanted to get some good pitch time in and make sure that everyone stayed physically fit,” he said. “We’ve developed some good momentum in the last month or so, and the objective was to carry that into next week’s FA Cup final.”

With little to play for, the game was very open from the start, and it was not long before the goalfest began. Smith opened the scoring in the seventh minute, finishing in the top corner after being played in behind the defence. In the 25th minute, the pacy winger turned provider when his cross from the left was headed in by Simmons at the back post.

Moments later, Boulevard thought they had pulled one back through Keemo Smith, who finished in the far corner after making a run from centre back. However, he was adjudged to be offside and the goal was disallowed.

The decision proved to be costly as Hood pulled further away when Astwood was on hand to tap in from close range on the stroke of half-time, giving his team a three-goal lead going into the interval.

Boulevard would not go down easily and seven minutes into the second half, were given hope when Easton headed a Takeyi Walker free kick home from six yards out.

However, any thoughts of a comeback were immediately erased when a minute later, Antwan Russell tapped in a cross from Simmons to restore the three-goal cushion.

Simmons was in on the action again in the 60th minute, when he dispossessed the Boulevard centre back just outside the box, and finished hard and low to make it 5-1.

The game was over as a contest at this point but the visitors continued to push, and eventually scored their second from a 70th-minute corner. Smith made no mistake, with a cleanly struck volley from 12 yards after Hood were unable to clear their lines.

The home team responded five minutes later when Russell raced in from the halfway line unchallenged and slipped Simmons in to complete his hat-trick.

Russell would then have an opportunity to double his tally from the penalty spot after being brought down inside the box, but goalkeeper Jahi Shakir made a fine save diving to his left to deny the influential forward.

However, there was little he could do when Smith finished firmly into the far corner after receiving a square pass from Russell five minutes from full time.

Boulevard would end the match with ten men, after Aldonte Smith, received a second booking for dissent.

SCORERS

Robin Hood

Smith 7, 87, Simmons 25, 60, 75, Astwood 44, Russell 55

Boulevard

Easton 52, A Smith 70

TEAMS

Robin Hood: T Figureido, D Andrade, J Bather, J Pereira, P Francioni, A Russell, L Simmons, S Smith, L Symonds, A Astwood, T Bean (sub: E Outerbridge, 66min). Substitute not used: M Burchall.

Boulevard: J Shakir, Z Stovell, D Taylor, K Smith, A Famous (sub: J Samuels, 63), A Smith, K Smith, N Smith, T Butterfield, K Easton (sub: Y Darrell, 70), M Smith (sub: S Foster, 72). Substitute not used: T Stovell. Booked: A Smith, Stovell. Sent off: A Smith.

Referee: M Wyer