Boulevard 1 Dandy Town 3

Dandy Town finished the Dudley Eve group phase unbeaten on Saturday night after downing Boulevard Blazers at PHC Field.

Goals by Zias Smith, David Jones Jr and Jahkari Furbert ensured that Town finished the group stages with a perfect nine points and they will find out their semi-final opponents when the draw is made at the Bermuda Football Association offices on Monday

Town made a flying start to the contest with Eusebio Blankendal rattling the post from about 25 yards with a powerful effort after Boulevard failed to clear a cross by Furbert, who then stung the palms of Blazers goalkeeper DeAz Chambers with a curling effort.

Town would make the breakthrough their control deserved after 18 minutes when Riley Robinson split the Blazers defence with a perfect through ball to Zias Smith, who whipped his shot beyond the diving Chambers into the far post.

The Town goal ignited Blazers, who's chance of qualifying for the semi-final was taken away when they they were docked points after fielding an ineligible player against Paget in an earlier game.

They began to show greater aggression and composure when they had the ball, with Jahzion Talbot-Thomas coming closest to equalising when he dragged a shot wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Despite their better period, Boulevard failed to seriously test the Town defence with wingers Zaeuhn Symonds and Chyion Thompson lacking conviction in their final passing.

Town doubled their lead straight from the restart when Edry Moore fed a driven pass into the feet of David Jones Jr, who outmuscled substitute Cole Summers before finishing low past Chambers.

The second goal still did not kill Boulevard’s competitive spirit and they pushed forward, with the pace of half-time sub Kyah Blyden worrying the Town defence.

Blyden made the impact Blazers wanted when he showed tricky feet before being taken down by Ereico Outerbridge inside the penalty area. Ijahmon Mallory was calm from the spot to give Blazers hope of a comeback.

But in the 65th minute a mistake by Chambers led to Town restoring their two-goal lead. Furbert was found by Nizigh Spence on the right and cut inside before hitting a soft curling shot towards goal. Veteran goalkeeper Chambers was moving in the opposite direction and could not adjust his feet in time to react.

The third goal extinguished Blazers as an attacking force and Furbert could have made it four just three minutes after that but dragged his shot just wide of the far post.

Tavez Smith cracked the crossbar with his most threatening effort for Town and Keedai Astwood could have given Blazers a late consolation from a tight angle, but sliced his effort wide.

Scorers

Boulevard Blazers: I Mallory pen 58

Dandy Town: Z Smith 18, Jones Jr 46, Furbert 65

TEAMS

Boulevard (4-2-3-1): D Chambers 5 – A Famous 5, D Cox 6, I Mallory 6, Z Stovell 5 – A Carvelho 4 (sub: C Summers, 38min 5), D Walker 5 – Z Symonds 6 (sub: K Astwood, 65 5), J Talbot Thomas 5, C Thompson 5 (sub: K Blyden, 46 6) – Y Darrell 5 (sub: K Gibbons-Gumbs, 46 5). Substitutes not used: V Chambers, M McAndrew, K Wint, N Smith.

Dandy Town (4-1-4-1): J Hill 6 – L Simmons 6, E Moore 7, Y Ramirez 6, E Outerbridge 5 (sub: E Peets, 86) – N Spence 6 – J Furbert 7 (sub: M Joell, 86), E Blankendal 6, R Robinson 7, Z Smith 7 (sub: D Leverock, 77) – D Jones Jr 7 (sub: T Smith, 77); Substitutes not used: A Harvey, A Bailey, J Roser, A Simmons. Booked: Hill, Spence.

Referee: A Francis.