Somerset Trojans 2 Dandy Town 5

Controversy marred Dandy Town’s resounding victory in the FA Cup quarter-finals over Somerset Trojans at Somerset Cricket Club yesterday.

Referee Martin Wyer threatened to abandon the game in the second half after being subjected to constant racist abuse from a group of fans located on the lower level porch of the clubhouse.

The Englishman was bombarded by a barrage of obscenities and, after deciding that enough was enough, advised match commissioner Manny Faria that he would halt proceedings if the bad behaviour persisted. The Trojans coaching staff and some players tried to calm their supporters but were themselves subjected to verbal abuse, which eventually subsided somewhat.

It is not the first time that Wyer, regarded as the island’s top referee, has been subjected to this sort of abuse.

He quit officiating twice inside of a year after claiming to being subjected to racist abuse while refereeing but was persuaded by colleagues to change his mind.

The unruly behaviour by the Trojans supporters took some of the gloss off of Town’s impressive display.

The visiting side dominated the opening stanza but only had Jahnazae Swan’s superb glancing header to show for it at the break.

However, they picked up where they had left off in the second half and opened the floodgates with Kwame Steede, captain Angelo Simmons, Michael Parsons and substitute Taevion Woodley all adding their names to the scoresheet to pile more misery on the Trojans.

The home side pulled two goals back through substitutes Deunte Darrell and Hubert Butterfield but it proved nothing more than a consolation.

After establishing control of midfield, Town looked to have taken the lead when Damon Ming bundled in from a goalmouth scramble. However, after consulting with his assistant referee, Wyer ruled the goal offside, much to the frustration of Town who protested in vain.

Town pressed on and, with Swan and Eusebio Blankendal causing problems out on the flanks with their pace and dangerous crosses, finally broke Trojans’ resistance.

Blankendal ran into space down the right and picked out Swan with a delightful diagonal pass that he nodded past goalkeeper and Trojans captain Shaquille Bean without breaking stride.

Trojans were kept on the back foot for most of the first half but threatened against the run of play. Damon Swan flicked Justin Corday’s free kick just over the bar before Corday had a free kick saved by Town goalkeeper Treadwell Gibbons.

Town should have doubled their lead when Ming drove into the box and passed to Steede who was unable to connect cleanly standing in front of goal.

However, Steede made amends early in the second half when he tapped in Blankendal’s pass from close range.

It was pretty much game over when Simmons headed Swan’s cross into Bean’s top right corner. Parsons then rubbed more salt in the wound when he beat Bean with a thunderous strike from all of 35 yards. The Trojans finally broke through when Darrell tapped in from close range. But Town were not done just yet as substitute Woodley finished off a nice move to make it 5-1.

The Trojans pulled another goal back on the full-time whistle, Butterfield lashing home from just outside of the box after Town were caught in possession.

SCORERS

Somerset Trojans: Darrell 66, Butterfield 90+2

Dandy Town: Swan, 17 Steede, 51 Simmons, 55 Parsons, 62 Woodley 79

TEAMS

Somerset Trojans: S Bean — M Henschke, C Durham, T Ming, Jadan Ratteray-Smith, Jaz Ratteray-Smith (sub: D Darrell, 55 min), D Swan, K Hollis, J Corday, Z Smith (sub: A Seaman, 61), D Wainwright (sub: H Butterfield, 66). Substitutes not used: S Brangman, Y Williams. Booked: Ming, Swan.

Dandy Town: T Gibbons — K Simmons, K Lathan, A Furbert, M Parsons (sub: T Woodley, 67), T Manders (sub: S Darrell, 67), J Swan, D Ming (sub: J Richardson-Martin, 67), E Blankendal, K Steede, A Simmons. Substitutes not used: J Roser, N Dante-Smith, G Sampson.

Referee: M Wyer.