Premier Division leaders North Village and Somerset Trojans battled to a stalemate on a wet afternoon at Somerset Cricket Club yesterday.

Trojans captain Jelani Scott gave the home side the lead with an opportunistic goal early in the second half, only for Nakia Smith to jump off the Village bench and poach an equaliser seven minutes from the end of this scrappy affair played in constant rain.

Village dominated the first half with the menacing Keith Jennings going close on three occassions.

Jennings tested debuting 'keeper Richard Campbell with an in-swinging free-kick that was tipped over the bar and then had a shot blocked in the goalmouth by the recovering Darin Minors who was solid throughout at the back.

"I thought we controlled the first half and should've closed it out. But that's football," Village coach Elliott Jennings commented afterwards. "We had the better chances at goal, but we didn't capitalise."

Trojans tried to seize the early momentum but eventually adopted a defensive approach as Village roamed forward with confidence.

"I thought we defended well in the first half," Trojans coach Dennis Brown said.

But again it was a different story up front for Brown's strikers. "We still are not getting ourselves in position to score," he said. "We still need to take more responsibility in front of goal, but that will come."

With veteran striker Rodney Bascome often left stranded up front, Brown threw youngster Coefield Robinson into the fray and the gamble paid off as the latter made his presence felt.

After absorbing enormous pressure before the break Trojans came out a different bunch when play resumed and jumped out in front when Scott got behind the Village defence, side-stepped 'keeper Jason Williams and flicked the ball into the empty net.

And with better finishing Trojans could have wrapped things up, had Thomas Marcellos not hesitated to fire with only Williams to beat.

But having been let off the hook, Village gradually caught their second wind and went in search of the equaliser with sub Smith and Keith Jennings now the driving forces up front.

Village looked to have drawn level when Smith connected from point-blank range. But Marco Butterfield came running to the rescue and cleared the ball away from danger.

But there would be no denying Smith minutes from the end as his ambitious overhead flick in the area sneaked inside Campbell's near post to keep Village's unbeaten league record intact.

"Unfortunately those things happen," Brown said. "But overall it was a good performance and a good morale booster for the team."

Trojans: R.Campbell, M.Butterfield, A.Lambert, K.Simmons, D.Minors, D.Benjamin, D.Lister (C.Robinson, 43 mins), J.Scott (captain), R.Bascome (D.Swan, 73 mins), J.Butterfield, T.Marcellos.

Village: J.Williams, M.Dill, K.Dill, R.Wilson, J.Boyles, Kai.Dill, J.Jennings, V.Tankard, D.Degraff, R.Bean (captain), K.Jennings.

Yellow cards: J.Scott, C.Robinson (Trojans).

Men of the match: D.Minors (Trojans); K.Jennings (Village).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.