Dandy Town 3 Wolves 1

Dandy Town are two points clear at the top of the Premier Division after beating Wolves at St John’s Field yesterday.

Strikes from Reiko Trott, Daeshun Butterfield and Temiko Wilson ensured that Somerset Trojans’ view from the top, after a meritorious 1-1 draw away to Devonshire Cougars last Friday night, would be only temporary.

Vincent Minors Jr scored for Wolves in the loss.

“We knew the job that we had in front of us, so it was imperative to come out positive and work together,” Brandon Minors, the Town captain, said. “When you have a group of players that stick together and help one another, the game is always going to be easy, that was the case today.

“You always have to go out looking for three points, and with the position we are in, this match was extremely important given it was at home.”

After a sluggish start to the game, it would be the home side who went ahead midway through the first half. Town winger Daeshun Butterfield scuffed a shot inside the area that Daniel Adams, in goal for Wolves, seemingly had under control. A challenge from Trott, however, dislodged the ball and was put home by the midfielder. Adams and the Wolves defence protested the call, but referee Lyndon Raynor allowed the goal to stand after consulting with his assistant.

The visiting side drew level five minutes later, however, when a handball was called in Town area amid a bunch of players fighting for possession. Minors calmly stepped up and placed his effort into the bottom left of Treadwell Gibbons Jr’s goal as the Town goalkeeper went the wrong way.

Damon Ming tried his luck in beating Adams early in the second half, but his low drive was well saved by the Wolves goalkeeper. Midfielder Jamel Swan shot high and wide as Town tried to force the pace.

The introduction of Angelo Simmons sent them into another gear, however, and it was not surprising that his energy provided the inspiration for a crucial victory.

Using his skill and ability to draw defenders, Simmons slipped Ming into a channel behind the Wolves backline and the striker crossed for Butterfield to score at the back post. Wilson, who came on for Butterfield minutes later, made an instant impact, getting his name on the sheet for the third game running.

Sold short by an errant back-pass, Adams’s poor clearance fell to Zaire Burchall 25 yards out.

Initially sizing up the shot, the midfielder cooly slipped in Wilson, who kept his composure and beat Adams at the far post to wrap up the points.

“Even though we were a bit slow in coming out and getting on the front foot, we managed to settle down and play to our game plan, which allowed us to get the victory in the long run,” Minors added. “We had to play for 90 minutes and got the job done in the end.”