Steede hat-trick steers Cougars into cup final
Following a nervy first half almost completely devoid of genuine goalscoring opportunities, this Boxing Day clash sprung dramatically to life after the break with a manic ten-minute spell in which four goals were scored in rapid succession.
Boulevard took the lead on 54 minutes via a glancing header from burly striker Raymond Burgess, before a determined Cougars responded only moments later through a Steede penalty.
The Bermuda international then doubled his team’s score on 61 minutes after reacting quickest following a goalmouth scramble in the Boulevard penalty area, before gangly Blazers midfielder Melchisedec Gibbons notched the equaliser with a powerful left-footed shot from 20 yards out.
Then, with both teams tiring in the latter stages of a brutal second half and the game increasingly stretched, the irrepressible Steede popped up on the right-hand side of the penalty area to blast a right-footed shot across Boulevard ‘keeper Nathan Darrell from an acute angle into the bottom corner — prompting wild celebrations from the large Cougars contingent who had made the trip east.
The goals aside, this was a mesmerising performance from the Cougars midfielder, who is developing steadily into a player of impressive class. Tracking back when needed to protect the back four, but more often than not pulling the strings from further upfield, Steede was a level above everybody around him and looked particularly threatening while playing off the shoulder of his pacy national team colleague Domico Coddington, who appears to be playing up front these days for Cougars rather than on the flanks.
With Bermuda’s crucial Digicel Cup assignments in Trinidad coming up early in the New Year, the club captain was evidently pleased afterwards that he was running into a patch of commanding form.
“I was very happy with the way I played and I’m just looking to stay fit and keep doing what I’m doing,” he said.
“I thought we began the game a little nervously and our passing wasn’t as good as it usually is. There were a lot of nerves out there on both sides to be honest and I think that’s why the first half went like it did.
“But we settled down after half-time and started putting stuff together. We worked extremely hard for this — we played with a lot of pride and determination and it paid off the end.”
In stark contrast to the fireworks of the second half, the opening 45 minutes was a turgid, lackadaisical affair with both sets of players looking as if they would have rather spent their Boxing Day doing something altogether more sedate.
As it was during their narrow 1-0 win over Trojans on Friday night, Boulevard’s attacking intent was consistently undermined by poor execution in the final third of the field while their talisman, striker Shaki Crockwell, again looked lethargic and out of sorts.
For their part, Cougars’ usually slick passing game was conspicuous by its absence while Coddington, who will almost certainly return to the wing when he suits up for Bermuda against the Dominican Republic on January 7, was totally isolated up front and struggled to impose himself on the game in his customary way.
The best chance of the half fell, unsurprisingly, to Steede who attacking the northern end of the ground, managed to find room for a pop at goal only 15 yards out, though he only succeeded in screwing his shot wide with Boulevard ‘keeper Nathan Darrell hopelessly out of position.
The half-time whistle brought a merciful break from the tedium, though the arrival of a Gombey troupe in the second half seemed to have an affect on the players, with the energetic beat of the drums and dancing bringing about dramatic improvement in their enthusiasm and work ethic.
Burgess’ header to give Boulevard the lead came after a rare piece of great work down the left wing by Wade, whose cross with the outside of the right boot found the alert striker nipping expertly in front of Clyde Darrell to nod home.
Blazers’ elation was short-lived, however, as Coddington — deliberately lying deeper to try and be more involved in the play — went on a mazy run into the Boulevard box which was cut off in its infancy by a definite trip.
Referee Leroy Wilson had no choice but to award a spot kick which was coolly dispatched by the skipper, sending Darrell the wrong way.
Roughly two minutes later, Steede had his shirt off in celebration once again after another driving run into the box ended with him bulldozing his way past two defenders and lifting the ball over Darrell just when it looked as if the ‘keeper was about to gobble up the loose ball.
Back at the other end of the field though, Cougars’ goalkeeper was having problems of his own as for the second time in the game he was penalised by the referee for kicking the ball clear out of hand while standing just outside the confines of his penalty area.
The first Boulevard free kick for this offence came to nothing, but the boys from the Den were made to pay for the second blunder as it was hammered into the ten-yard wall by Wade, only for Gibbons to follow up with a cracker of a strike from distance.
Gibbons’ goal set up what most expected to be an exciting last 25 minutes — with the players not disappointing on this occasion.
As both teams tired, inevitably the midfield began to open up and both sides had chances to regain the lead, with Coddington going close for Cougars and Angelo Simmons also causing problems with his pace and trickery.
But whoever was writing the day’s script had clearly picked Steede as the hero — the final powerful volley into the far corner to clinch the win proving the classiest of his three strikes.
Boulevard: <$>N.Darrell, K.Butterfield, J.Warren, J.Samuels, C.Matthews, C.Hayward, C.Simmons, M.Gibbons, S.Crockwell, A.Simmons, R.Burgess (T.Walker 85 mins>
Devonshire Cougars: <$>C.Darrell, J.DeShields, D.Cox, J.Butterfield, I.Mallory, R.Robinson (M.Smith 83), A.Gibbons, D.Eve (L.Brangman 52 mins), C.Caisey, K.Steede, D.Congton
Yellow cards: <$>C.Hayward, M.Gibbons (Boulevard) M.Smith (Cougars)
Men of the Match: R.Burgess (Boulevard), K.Steede (Cougars)
Referee: Leroy Wilson
Wilkin put Colts ahead after only three minutes after spotting Rangers ‘keeper Ricky Tucker off his line and chipping him from 25 yards out.
That strike was followed soon after by a 10th minute goal from the prolific Zuill, who rose unchecked to head home a cross from the right.
