Somerset Trojans 0

Dandy Town 5

Veteran striker Carlos Smith demonstrated his true class yesterday, firing a superb hat-trick at Wellington Oval to single-handedly destroy Trojans? cup hopes and carry Dandy Town through to a second FA Cup final in three seasons.

Erasing any doubts that the 35-year-old national team player hadn?t fully recovered from a recent injury, Smith executed clinical strikes in the 18th and 19th minutes before completing his fine treble from the penalty spot midway through the second half.

Declining to speak to The Royal Gazette afterwards, Smith instead let his boots do all the talking.

Defender Chris Anderson and striker Khano Smith added two late goals to put the icing on Town?s emphatic rout over their First Division opponents who were always facing an uphill climb, given the unavailability of three regular players all through suspension. Trojans coach Dennis Brown had to rely on the services of two of Somerset?s under-17 players to fill the void.

Though the final scoreline would suggest a one-sided affair, Brown later assessed: ?We made five critical errors and they made us pay for them. We put eleven players on the pitch and I would have liked to have been at full strength. But we made five silly errors and they made us pay for them . . . and that?s the name of the game at this level.?

The 52nd minute sending off of teenage centre-half Ijamon Mallory didn?t help Trojans? cause. In fact, it only served to open the floodgates for a hungry Town attack that took full advantage of a Trojans side with their heads bowed.

Having savoured Friendship Trophy success in his first full-season at the helm of Town last year, coach Devar Boyles is headed back to the carpet, where he hopes his team can put an end to their FA Cup jinx.

?I thought Somerset gave it a good go. I told my players that we started the season in the sunshine and that there?s no better way to end it than to be playing in the sunshine of a cup final in April,? he said.

?We are very encouraged having made it through to the final and I think this team is capable of doing well in the final. And I am just happy that we have earned the opportunity to play for the FA Cup.?

For Trojans, the sight of striker Stovell on the ground clutching his right foot after a taking a knock near midfield was perhaps an omen for worse things to come, as Town struck twice with deadly accuracy within a minute.

Town, missing Randy Swan through injury, opened the scoring in the 18th minute through Smith who got a boot to a Khano Smith cross, watched as his initial shot was parried by Timmy Figureido but then cleverly outfoxed the Trojan defence with a cheeky back-heel which trickled in at the far post.

Before the dust had settled, Smith pounced again. In what proved to be a carbon copy of the first goal, Smith again managed to get onto the end of a Khano Smith cross, round the advancing ?keeper and calmly slot the ball into the empty net to give his side a 2-0 cushion at the half.

Town ?keeper Jason Smith ? younger brother to Carlos ? had a quiet opening half between the uprights, Trojans first shot on goal not arriving until the 30th minute when Damon Ming fired high and wide while Stovell went a similar route moments before the interval.

Not amused by his team?s performance on the pitch, Trojans coach Brown put on a display on the sideline of which his predecessor, Randy Horton, would have been proud.

Though trailing by a pair of goals, Trojans took the match to their opponents shortly after the restart with a Stovell shot from close range deflected over the bar followed by a blast from Karl Roberts which Smith barely prevented from crossing the line. But all Somerset?s hard work went in vain and in the 50th minute they were reduced to ten men after Mallory?s inexperience got the better of him, the teenager receiving a second booking for tugging on the jersey of Carlos Smith ? long after the Somerset defence had recovered.

Town suffered a setback of their own when ?keeper Smith injured his left shoulder attempting to collect a high ball and was subsequently replaced by Cymande Davis.

Hornets had the ball in the back of the net in the 65th minute, but Maurice Lowe?s powerful header was ruled offside.

But there was no stopping the Town Express minutes later as Smith made no mistake from the penalty spot to complete his treble after diminutive midfielder and former Trojan, Reggie Tucker, was brought down in the box by Figureido.

Anderson then increased Hornets? lead to four with a lobbed effort from all of 60 yards. Figureido, under heavy pressure from Seyoum Tuzo, failed to collect the ball and could only watch as it bounced over the line.

The stage was now set for Khano Smith to receive reward for another hard day?s work up front, and the lanky striker grasped his moment the dying seconds of the match, collecting the ball deep in Trojans? half, dribbling ten yards and lobbing over the advancing Figureido to ignite Town?s wild post-match celebrations.

Somerset: T.Figureido, R.Scott, A.Rahman, I.Mallory, K.Roberts, S.Morrissey (D.Rahman, 62 mins), J.Scott, T.Ming (T.Fubler, 70 mins), A.Webb (D.Blyden, 58 mins), D.Stovell, D.Ming.

Dandy Town: J.Smith (C.Davis, 60 mins), K.Mundy, D.Lawler, M.Lowe, C.Anderson, L.Furbert, R.Tucker, S.Tuzo, J.Peniston (K.Butterfield, 65 mins), C.Smith (L.Dill, 72 mins), K.Smith.

Booked: T.Figureido (Somerset); M.Lowe (Town).

Sent off: I.Mallory (Somerset).

Men of the match: D.Ming (Somerset); C.Smith (Town).

Referee: Lyndon Raynor.