Somerset Trojans 1 St George’s 1

Somerset Trojans and St George’s Colts played to a tame 1-1 draw at PHC Field on Saturday night in their final Dudley Eve Trophy group game, but both were knocked out of the competition.

Despite being eliminated, both coaches relished the opportunity to give their players some playing time.

“We are still acclimatiding to the different leve,l so that’s the most important thing right now,” said Trojans coach Danvers Seymour.

“One of the main things for us was for the players to get some runouts and some minutes in those legs. Now that we are going into the league, results matter”.

With St George’s Colts being the victim of a mass exodus of players during the close season, coach Mishael Paynter used the competition to test out some tactics.

“It was a good preseason tournament which allowed me the opportunity to try new players in different positions,” he said.

St George’s scored early when Jarazinho Bassett made a darting run down the left flank before his cross found Jahron Dickinson waiting at the back post for a simple tap-in past Trojans goalkeeper Kyjuan Symonds.

The East Enders would gift their opponents an equaliser in the 38th minute when veteran defender David Signor played a weak backpass intended for his goalkeeper, only for the alert Kynde Mallory to pounce on the loose ball and squeeze his shot under the body of the advancing Leo Harris in goal.

Both teams had chances to produce a winner in the second half but neither could breach the other’s defence.

Luciano Swan got off a scorching right footed shot which bounced of goalkeeper Harris’ chest before being cleared to safety. That was sandwiched between Bassett’s goalbound shot being deflected for a corner and goalkeeper Symonds advancing to force Bassett to shoot wide under pressure with time running down.

Scorers

Somerset Trojans: Mallory 38

St. George’s Colts: Dickinson 13

Teams

Somerset Trojans: K Symonds, Jadan Ratteray-Smith, Jaz Ratteray-Smith, L Sean, E Shakir, M Tear-Deleon, Kameron McNeil, Makai Joell, K Mallory, Kymani McNeil, M Aden. Substitutes: B Tyson-Gooden, T Smith, J Proctor, T Burgess, R Curtis, J Simmons, J Shields, Z Saltus-Seymour. C Durham.

St. George’s Colts: L Harris, J Bassett, N Anderson, R Young, M Tucker, J Burgess, D Signor, K Ottley, J Dickinson, J Darrell, J Brangman. Substitutes: E Signor, M Paynter, I Greaves.

Referee: R Douglas