Boulevard 0 Dandy Town 1

Dandy Town moved to the top of the Premier Division with a hard fought 1-0 success over winless Boulevard Blazers at Devonshire Rec on Sunday.

Town scored in the opening minutes of play when a quickly taken throw-in caught the Blazers unit napping, which allowed Town marksman David Jones Jr to run on to the ball and slot beyond the flat-footed Blazers’ goalkeeper DeAz Chambers to score the only goal of the game.

Despite his team taking over the top spot, Town coach Jarreau Hayward remained humble after the victory.

“Three points is the main thing and we also got a shutout, which is good, but we definitely have to do better in front of goal,” Hayward said.

“Although we are on top for now, the season is still early. Our aim is to be here at the end.”

Town, with captain Tomiko Goater playing in an unfamiliar role at left wing-back, drew momentum from the early goal and nearly doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when Riley Robinson met Jones’s delicate chip. Goalkeeper Chambers was well positioned to make a point-blank save from the header.

At the other end, Blazers had a threatening attack when Doreiko Walker put captain Ernest Trott through only for Bermuda international defender Danté Leverock to put in a desperate lunge to block the shot for a corner.

Darius Cox kept his team in the match early in the second half when he blocked Kamali Davis as he shaped to shoot from close range. Chambers then robbed Robinson as he shaped up to head Nizigh Spence’s free kick in the six-yard box

Boulevard continued to press for an equaliser and captain Trott started and finished a move from the midfield involving three players but he overran the last touch as he zoned in on goal.

Trott and substitute Chyion Thompson combined to put the former through one on one with Town goalkeeper Jahquil Hill, but the custodian would spread himself wide to block the goalbound effort with his body. Antoine Famous was then positioned unmarked at the back post but headed the resulting cross wide of goal.

Davis should have eased Town’s worries but lobbed over the top after Jones chipped a pass into his path from close range.

Blazers’ centre backs Cox and Cole Summers worked tirelessly to keep their team in the match with some timely tackles and interceptions to cancel out many Town threats, but their attacking unit could not breach a solid Town defence as referee Martin Wyer blew the final whistle.

Teams

Boulevard 4-2-3-1): D Chambers 7 — J Walker 5, D Cox 6, C Summers 6, A Famous 6 (sub: I Mallory, 85 min) — K Butterfield 5, N Smith 5 — K Blyden 5 (sub: K Astwood, 56 6), T Gibbons 5 (sub: C Thompson, 67 5), D Walker 6 (sub: T Lowe, 85) — E Trott 6. Substitutes not used: T Burgess, Z Stovell. Booked: Famous.

Dandy Town (4-2-3-1): J Hill 6 — T Goater 6, Y Ramirez 6, D Leverock 6, M Joell 5 (sub: L Simmons, 75) — N Spence 6, Q Maynard 5 — R Robinson 6 (sub: A Bailey, 85) E Swan 5 (sub: Z Smith, 75), K Davis 5 — D Jones 7. Substitutes not used: J Roser, G Liburd. Booked: Ramirez

Referee: M Wyer