BAA 2 Robin Hood 10

Robin Hood guaranteed a fourth straight top-two finish after hitting the goal trail in an emphatic 10-2 victory over BAA at Goose Gosling Field on Saturday night.

In a ruthless performance from Hood, a memorable five-goal haul from Shakir Smith, was added to with a hat-trick from Aaron Nelson and a goal apiece from Jaylon Bather and the lively Tamiko Goater. Keishen Bean, who had previously levelled the scores at 1-1, grabbed both goals for BAA.

The result means Hood will finish as runners-up to champions PHC Zebras and while coach Jon Barry Nusum was delighted with the performance on the night, he conceded that the result was tinged by the fact that his side could not achieve their goal of clinching the title.

“Our finishing was excellent today and once the goals started rolling, we looked unstoppable and put them to the sword.” he said.

“It was an unusual game really because both teams were pretty much set in the league before the start of play and so at times it felt almost like a practice match.

“I’m delighted to have won the match but it is tinged with the disappointment of finishing second again.

“We lost one game all season and that was to PHC. Overall it has been another positive season but it is unfortunate we just couldn’t finish as champions.

“Too many draws have proved the difference unfortunately. We let too many points slip during the season in matches where we should have won and that’s what ultimately cost us.”

After a slow start to proceedings, Hodd opened the scoring after 12 minutes as Nelson raced onto a pass in behind the BAA defence and kept his cool to fire a right-footed effort past Daniel Johnson.

The home side responded five minutes later as Tyrell Burgess pounced on Hood’s failure to clear the ball before laying the ball into Keishen Bean’s path, who composed himself before slotting the ball past Dale Eve.

Smith hit back in the 31st minute grabbing his first goal. Smartly found by Goater, the winger saw his first effort well saved by Johnson, only for the ball to fall perfectly back into Smith’s path for the simplest of finishes, rolling the ball into the empty net.

The same combination reaped further rewards for Hood shortly before half-time as Goater once again picked out the marauding Smith, who unleashed a low rasping strike into the far right corner.

Hood picked up where they left off in the first half, at the start of the second, as Antwan Russell, playing at centre back picked out Bather, in the area, who took a touch before finishing smartly to make it 4-1 in the 55th minute.

Just seven minutes later it became 5-1 with Russell once again at the heart of the move. Showcasing his passing range, he picked out the run of Nelson, who raced clear of BAA’s static backline before lifting the ball over the onrushing Johnson.

The visitors showed no mercy and added a sixth in the 65th minute as Nelson completed his hat-trick. Picking the ball up just past the halfway line, he brilliantly wove his way through the defence before exquisitely lifting the ball over Johnson.

Six became seven just five minutes later with Smith adding his third. Colin Ryan slipped the ball into substitute Ereico Outerbridge’s path, whose effort came back off the inside of the left post before falling to Smith for another simple tap in.

Smith was again on target in the 78th minute, picking up possession on the edge of the area, before shifting the ball on to his left foot and rifling an effort past the helpless Johnson.

BAA responded immediately with Keishen Bean grabbing his second goal of the game. Out on the left-hand side, Bean skipped past his marker before curling a right-footed effort from an acute angle beyond the reach of Eve.

However, it was Hood who finished the stronger with two further goals in the final ten minutes as Smith fired in his fifth goal, before Goater wrapped up proceedings just before full-time, finding the net via the left upright.

“We’ve achieved our objective of staying up this season but there is no getting away from the fact that the performance was poor,” said Andrew Bascome, BAA’s coach.

“I can only put it down to the fact that it is the end of season, players are tiring out.

“I’m delighted with our efforts this season but tonight just highlights the fact that we need a deeper squad because the gulf to other teams is clear.”

SCORERS

BAA

Bean 15, 79

Robin Hood

Nelson 12, 62, 65

Smith 31, 45, 70, 78, 81

Bather 55

Goater 89

TEAMS

BAA (4-3-3): D Johnson — Z Robinson, Q Lema, J Lottimore (sub: A Darrell 45), I Simmons (sub: R Murphy 40)— L Roberts, D Bascome, K Bean — N Rego, T Burgess, V Capitillo (sub: A McDowell 35). Substitutes not used: A McDowell, K McQueen Booked: D Bascome

Robin Hood (4-3-3): D Eve — T Sabir, A Russell, J Bather, T Bean (sub: E Outerbridge 45) — P Parsons, C Ryan, A Nelson (sub: L Symonds 66) — S Smith, T Goater, C Castle Substitutes not used: J Pereira

Referee: G Swainson.