BAA 1 North Village 2

North Village avenged their recent Premier Division defeat against BAA with a 2-1 victory in front of a sparse crowd at Goose Gosling Field on last night.

Kyler Knights’s cross-come-shot in the 67th minute was the deciding factor.

“It was a cross, but I will take it,’ Knights said. “We have been going through a rough patch recently, so it is good to bounce back. We just need to take this momentum into our next game.”

Village had an early chance when Justin Bell cut inside from the left before unleashing his shot which Andrew McDowall, the BAA stand-in goalkeeper, did well to push around the post for a corner.

McDowell then fumbled a shot by Tareeko Wilson from 25 yards before collecting on the second attempt.

Tahj Bell, the Village goalkeeper, almost gifted BAA an opening goal when his attempted clearance hit a defender and rolled to Troy Tucker who hit a first-time volley which sailed inches over the empty goal.

BAA should have taken the lead near to the end of the half when Ian Simmons played a long ball through to Nathan Rego who dribbled around the goalkeeper before firing wildy over with the gap at his mercy.

BAA’s two clear-cut chances came back to haunt them early in the second half. They conceded a free kick and Justin Bell hit a low drive into the area, which was allowed to bounce. Goalkeeper McDowall could only parry the ball into the path of Goniko Butterfield who slammed it into the roof of the net.

Keishen Bean, a second-half substitute and former Village player, equalised for BAA within minutes. Simmons played another long ball through which Bean did well to shield from his defender before slotting it passed the onrushing Bell.

The game appeared to be heading for extra time until Knights’s fluke goal sealed the win for Village in the 67th minute.

Knight received a throw-in from the right, his cross to the back post eluded the finger tips of McDowall before landing in the back of the net.

Bean nearly sent the game into extra time in the 88th minute with a moment of brilliance.

He collected the ball midway in the Village half, beat one defender then flicked the ball over another before running around him and unleashing a shot on the half volley forcing Bell to dive full length to push around for a corner.

TEAMS

BAA (4-1-3-2): A McDowall — I Simmons (sub: A Darrell, 73min), T Burgess, Q Lema, Z Robinson — J Schroder (sub: K Bean, 46) — T Tucker, M Iris, L Roberts — R Murphy (sub: D Bascome, 55), N Rego. Substitutions not used: A Carvelho. Booked: I Simmons, Q Lema.

North Village (4-3-3): Tahj Bell — J Thomas, T Fray, P Castle, K Knights — Pierre Smith, (sub: Z Hendrickson, 75), T Wilson, J Davis — J Bell, G Butterfield (sub: W Shakir, 90), L Dill (sub: C Caisey, 61). Substitutions not used: D Dillas, K Francios, Kwan Smith. Booked: K Knights.

Referee: L Christopher.