Devonshire Colts 3 Boulevard Blazers 1

Devonshire Colts maintained their challenge for the Premier Division title with a comfortable victory over bottom club Boulevard Blazers at Police Field on Saturday afternoon.

Chemari Henry was involved in all three Colts goals, scoring the first two before providing an assist for Senoj Mitchell, who found the bottom of the net with a nice sidefoot finish.

Boulevard captain Ernest Trott scored a consolation goal from the penalty spot with a cheeky Panenka to bring some respectable to the scoreline.

Despite the win, Colts coach Ray Jones was not totally pleased with his team’s performance.

“We got the points but our performance was poor,” Jones said.

“We created chances but didn’t capitalise on them so we made the game more difficult then it should have been. The only positive is that we got three points but I am disappointed with the performance. We were in a good flow before the break so we need to get back to the training ground to get that rhythm again.”

Colts started the match the hungrier of the two teams and had an early chance when Mitchell’s low cross found captain Teniko Eve, but his shot was blocked.

Henry opened the scoring in the ninth minute when he kept possession after riding a tackle to cut back inside before unleashing a low drive which eluded the outstretched hand of a diving DeAz Chambers in the Boulevard goal.

Minutes later, Chambers did well to advance and save with his feet after Henry beat the offside trap. Henry was a constant and outran Chambers before executing a delicate lob but Darius Cox cleared the goalbound effort to safety as Colts bombarded their opponent’s goal but lacked a finishing touch.

Doreiko Walker should have equalised for Boulevard near the half-hour mark when a long kick out was allowed to bounce. He rounded the defender but shot wide of goal from a good position. Cox came agonisingly close to levelling the score but his curling free kick skimmed the crossbar before going over with Colts goalkeeper Treshun Smith beaten.

Chambers was easily the man of the match for Boulevard as he was called upon time after time to nullify many of the Colts’ promising attacks. He advanced bravely off his line to block Jorj Dublin, who had broken through his team’s defensive line to close out a half dominated by Colts.

Early in the second half, Mitchell breached the Boulevard defence with Chambers diving to his left to deny the shot. Henry would blast the loose ball over the top from close range when it was easier to side-foot into the empty net.

Colts’ dominance paid off and they scored their second when Henry struck from a goalmouth scramble after the initial shot was blocked in the 53rd minute.

At the other end, Walker miscontrolled a diagonal cross, which allowed Shane Robinson to recover and block his shot.

Goalscorer Henry then turned provider when he dribbled to the goalline before squaring back to find Mitchell at the back post to side-foot home to give Colts a three-goal advantage.

To their credit Boulevard never gave up ands Treazi Gibbons’s curling free kick just missed the upright. Colts substitute Jomei Bean-Lindo gave Blazers some hope of a comeback when fouling Gibbons in the penalty. Captain Ernest Trott kept his cool to chip the ball down the centre to beat Smith and reduce the deficit to two.

Henry should have had his hat-trick but tripped over the ball as he zoned in on goal with only Chambers to beat as time ticked down.

Scorers

Devonshire Colts: Henry 9, 53, Mitchell 69

Boulevard Blazers: Trott 79

Teams

Devonshire Colts (4-2-3-1): T Smith 5 — S Robinson 6, D Jackson 5, M Issac 5, F Lema 5 (sub: J Bean-Lindo, 57min 5) — Z Burgess 6 (sub: A Hart, 69 5), J Dublin 6 — S Mitchell 6 (sub: S Blair-Paynter, 69 5), J Samuels 6, C Henry 7 — T Eve 5 (sub: J Paynter, 33 6), Substitutes not used: J Sanders, J Francis. Booked: Henry

Boulevard Blazers (4-2-3-1): D Chambers 7 — K Astwood 6, I Mallory 5 (sub: K Blyden, 57 5), D Cox 6, A Famous 6 (sub: Y Darrell, 85) — N Smith 5, E Trott 6 — D Walker 6, T Gibbons 5, J Walker 5 — J Talbot-Thomas 5. Substitutes not used: T Burgess, T Lowe, K Swan, C Simmons. Booked: Famous, D Walker

Referee: A Francis