North Village 2 Dandy Town 1

Defending FA Cup champions North Village Rams are through to the next round courtesy of a late Jalen Harvey goal when he rose unchallenged at the back post to head home Jordan Outerbridge’s perfectly floated free-kick in the 89th minute at Bernard Park.

Earlier, Village sounded a warning from the opening whistle with two attempts within the opening five minutes. Amir Dill shot wide and then a Knory Scott drive forced Town’s goalkeeper Jahquil Hill to dive low to his left and push the ball around his post.

At the other end, Kamali Davis was put through on the angle but shot weakly at Rams’ goalkeeper and captain Detre Bell, who easily pulled his shot in.

Village enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges and took take a deserved lead through a good build up from midfield.

Scott, playing just behind his striker, turned his marker in the middle of the park before finding Dill, who dribbled then hit a low drive which beat the outstretched arm of Hill, hit the upright and finally nestled in the opposite corner.

Hill had to be at his best to push Scott’s curling free-kick over the top after Dante Leverock conceded a needless foul at the top of the box. Harvey slammed the resulting corner kick inches wide.

In a rare promising attack, David Jones darted down the left flank and crossed but Lazai Outerbridge blasted over from an angle.

Town began to settle, enjoyed a good spell of possession and scored just before half-time. Davis headed the ball across goal, Lejuan Simmons’ header found Jones in the middle of the goal and he headed beyond Bell to level the score.

Town started the second half with more conviction. A long diagonal ball over the top found captain Tomiko Goater sandwiched between two defenders. He tried to lob Bell but the alert keeper was able to collect cleanly.

Village responded immediately with half-time substitute Jonte Smith putting Scott through but he sliced wide from an angle.

Davis attempted to squeeze the ball through and it was adjudged to have been handled by a Village player just outside the area. Goater hit his low free-kick to the right of the wall bringing off a diving save from Bell who smothered the ball in.

Smith thought he had scored when he pounced on Hill’s weak punched clearance but his goalbound shot was cleared off the line by Leverock. Smith then had a free-kick skim the bar.

With the match heading into extra-time, Harvey popped up with the winner.

Smith was fouled on the right flank and Jordan Outerbridge’s perfectly weighted cross was met with a powerful header by Harvey, which sailed pass Hill to put his team into the next round.

Town substitute, Enrique Swan nearly equalised on the stroke of full time when he dribbled down the left flank only for his cross-come-shot to land on top of the goal, leaving Village fans to breathe a sign of relief as referee Anthony Francis blew the final whistle.

Scorers

North Village A Dill 16, J Harvey 89

Dandy Town D Jones 42

Teams

North Village (5-3-1-1): D Bell 6 --- J Outerbridge 6, J Harvey 7, T Williams 6, K Harrison 6, C Caisey 7 --- S Spence 6, J Chapman 6 (sub: J Smith-Deshields 66 5), A Dill 7 (sub: J Bean 66 5) --- K Scott 7 (sub: L Steede 88) ---P Smith 5. (sub: J Smith 46 7). Substitutes not used: I Simmons, K Cann, M Paynter. Booked: Nil.

Dandy Town (4-2-3-1): J Hill 6 --- L Simmons 6, D Leverock 6, Y Ramirez 6, T Webb 6 --- Q Maynard 5 (sub: N Spence 65 5), E Moore 5 --- K Davis 6 (sub: D Daniels 83), L Outerbridge 6 (sub: E Swan 83), D Jones 6 (sub: J Furbert 65 5) ---T Goater 6. Substitutes not used: E Blankendal, A Lewis. Booked: Leverock, Webb.

Referee A Francis