BAA 4 Paget Lions 1

Paget Lions slipped closer to relegation after three goals in the final ten minutes by BAA at Goose Gosling Field left them rooted at the bottom of the table with just two games remaining.

Paget’s problems began before the match had even started, as they struggled to put 11 players on the field, with the match starting ten minutes later than scheduled.

Jensen Rogers, the Somerset Eagles coach, who won promotion with Paget last season, showed up to watch the match after his promoted team drew 1-1 with Devonshire Colts and ended up playing his second match for Paget this season as he is still registered with them.

Eventually, Paget managed to get 11 on the field, with coach Robert Lee suiting up as their only substitute. Only five players who started against Somerset Trojans last weekend showed up for the match, with Rogers playing in the backline in place of McQuinn Burch.

Paget did not have the best of starts, either, going a goal down after 16 minutes when Jaman Lottimore was put through on the right side of the box by a short pass and took a few strides before firing past goalkeeper Ricardo Brangman.

Paget, without front pair Dion Stovell and Akale Bean, played with determination and got an equaliser six minutes later when midfielder Tahjae Welch struck a well-placed penalty to goalkeeper Andrew Kempe’s right after BAA were penalised for a foul on Chare Smith.

After holding their own in the first half, Paget almost took the lead three minutes into the second half when Kyhon Smith threaded a ball through the BAA defence for Smith who was denied by the quick reacting Kempe. Delente Frost then just missed the target from a volley on the right side of the six-yard box as Paget threatened to upstage their promotion partners, who started the match in fifth place and safe from the threat of relegation.

At the other end, BAA went close when Lottimore raced though to meet a ball down the middle but side-footed just wide as he tried to beat Brangman to his left.

Chances were now being created at both ends as Paget went close again in the 70th minute when captain Diage Hart’s back-heel set up Frost before his shot was blocked by Kempe.

Paget looked deserving of a share of the spoils, but it all fell apart for them in the final ten minutes when BAA seized the three points with two Keishen Bean penalties and an own goal.

The turning point came when a long ball from substitute Troy Tucker sent Nathan Rego through on the right side.

His speed got him quickly into the box before Sergio Richardson’s mistimed tackle from behind had referee Lloyd Christopher pointing to the spot and reaching in his pocket for a straight red card for Richardson.

Bean calmly converted his spot kick for a 2-1 lead. An own goal by Chare Smith seven minutes later extended BAA’s advantage while Rogers was off receiving treatment for a leg injury before Lee replaced him for the final few minutes.

Bean converted another penalty in the 90th minute to take his tally to 18 league goals for the season, with the win lifting his team up to fourth in the table, ahead of X-Roads.

TEAM

BAA (4-3-3): A Kempe — A McDowell (sub: V Capitillo, 76min), T Burgess, Q Lema, Z Richardson — D Bascome, A Darrell (sub: T Tucker, 65), L Roberts — K Bean, N Rego, J Lottimore (K McQueen, 73). Substitutes not used: M Brangman, D Johnson, R Murphy, I Simmons.

Paget Lions (4-3-3): R Brangman — W Bean, J Rogers (sub: R Lee, 87), K Butterfield, R Richardson — T Welch, K Smith, S Richardson — C Smith, D Frost, D Hart. Booked: Frost. Sent off: S Richardson.

Referee: L Christopher.