A goal by sweeper Wayne Richardson six minutes from time gave Boulevard a thoroughly-deserved win at Somerset Cricket Club and put them two points clear at the top of the First Division.

Richardson picked up a loose ball on the edge of the 18-yard box and drilled home a firm shot through a maze of players between him and the goal.

The tall defender was so excited at breaking the deadlock that he went on a long, winding, celebratory run -- and got booked for time-wasting by referee Rex Osborne.

But Richardson could be excused for savouring the moment after he had watched his team squander long periods of possession.

Despite their superiority in midfield, Boulevard's strike force of Stevie Wade and Neil Robinson were too impotent to take advantage.

Rarely did either man get into a good scoring position and, when they did, neither could muster anything too threatening in front of goal.

Boulevard almost paid dearly for their misses in the 39th minute when Somerset midfielder Steven Arorash hit the bar from 10 yards out.

His effort kick-started Somerset into life and they had another great chance on the stroke of half-time.

Chris Sabir hit a beautiful back-flick into the path of Rodney Bascome who charged towards goal but his fierce, low drive drifted left and hit the side-netting.

With the wind behind them in the second half, Boulevard reasserted their authority but again struggled in front of goal.

It was Somerset who looked more dangerous on the attack, even if their forays into the opposition's penalty area were few and far between.

Bascome, Somerset's top scorer, looked a class above anyone else whenever there was the merest sniff of a chance.

Sabir sent him away again in the 50th minute but Bascome failed by inches to connect with his pass with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Then Somerset hit the bar for the second time in the match when Reggie Tucker let fly from 30 yards.

Boulevard should have taken the lead after 70 minutes but substitute Amon Brown missed a sitter only eight minutes after coming on.

Wade failed to connect cleanly with two attempts at a cross from Robinson before the ball fell to an unmarked Brown only a few yards from goal.

But, with time on his side, he failed to control the ball properly and hit weakly at Antoine Swan who dived and stopped the shot on his goal-line.

A few minutes later, it was Boulevard's turn to hit the woodwork when midfielder Vernon Symonds smashed a glorious 30-yard shot against the crossbar.

Boulevard stepped up the pace and began to attack at will as Somerset's defence began to crack under the pressure. But their attack still could not convert their chances.

In the end, it was no surprise to anyone that, when Boulevard eventually scored, it was someone other than an attacker who found the net.

Somerset: A.Swan; A.Rahman, T.Dickinson, L.Simmons, P.Place; C.Sabir (C.Anderson, 61 mins), R.Simmons, S.Arorash (A.Burchall, 76 mins), R.Tucker; R.Bascome, L.Crofton.

Boulevard: L.Tucker; A.Caisey, W.Richardson, G.Smith, D.Boyles; D.Warren, V.Symonds, S.Smith (A.Brown, 62 mins), C.Caisey; N.Robinson (H.Bascome, 76 mins), S.Wade.

Referee: Rex Osborne.

Men of the match: Andrew Rahman (Somerset); Wayne Richardson (Boulevard).

ONLY ONE MAY PASS -- Boulevard captain Dwight Warren takes flight to avoid fallen Trojan Lamaul Crofton, who keeps the ball in front of him in yesterday's big match.