Somerset Trojans 0Boulevard 1

(After extra time)

Over the years senior match official Anthony Francis has never been a crowd favourite at Boulevard. But the veteran referee/linesman might have been Blazers’ hero yesterday as his flag had a strong bearing during an otherwise drab FA Cup semi-final at Southampton Oval.

With Boulevard trying desperately to cling onto a one-goal advantage, Sean Simmons ran onto a cross from the right side and drilled the ball past Nathan Darrel in the Blazers’ goal to level the scores minutes from the end of extra-time.

Trojans’ celebrations, however, quickly subsided as Ecuadorian referee Jenny Villamarin disallowed the effort for offside after consulting with linesman Francis, and Blazers held out to the end to secure passage to a first FA Cup final in exactly a decade.

Following Boulevard’s loss to North Village at Bernard Park last February which knocked them off the top of the Premier Division, Blazers’ coach John Rebello was furious with Francis. Yesterday, however, Rebello might’ve been among the first to put the senior the official on a pedestal.

“I can’t complain . . . that’s football. Sometimes you get bad breaks and fuss about them. But today we got some good calls and I’ll take that,” Rebello smiled afterwards.

“In the past we’ve certainly been on the wrong side, but today we were finally on the good side of things. Right from the start I wished him (Francis) a Happy Easter and all of that because life goes on.”

Trojans’ coach Dennis Brown seemed to take yesterday’s result with a grain of salt, but not before letting Francis know exactly how he felt about the disputed call from the sidelines.

“You can’t bring it back. The linesman made a decision and that’s how it goes. Congratulations to Boulevard and I wish them good luck in the final,” said Brown, perhaps struggling to keep his emotions in check.

Against Devonshire Cougars seven days earlier in the Friendship Trophy final, Trojans produced some of the best football witnessed this season. Yesterday they were awful.

“We didn’t come out with the intensity level I would’ve liked to have seen today,” Brown lamented.

In a match that failed to live up to expectations, Raymond Burgess jumped off the bench to grab Blazers’ winner in the first period of extra-time, and effectively put paid to Trojans’ hopes of becoming the first club to win ten FA Cup titles.

In fact, with better finishing Blazers could have had this cup tie all sewn up in regulation time against a Trojans side looking anything but the dominant force they were against Cougars the weekend before.

Speedy winger Angelo Simmons and Burgess had good looks at goal but scoffed their chances. And with extra-time lingering, Simmons lifted another golden opportunity over the bar while Blazers’ captain Shaki Crockwell failed to bury a shot from close range with only Trojans’ custodian Adrian Burrows to beat.

The closest an unimaginative Trojans ultimately came to scoring was when Darrell tipped goal-bound shots from Simmons and Anthony (Berker) Burchall over the bar.

This set the stage for super sub Burgess to deliver the proverbial kiss of death in the opening period of extra-time from a low John Payne cross from the right.

“It was a very tactical game as I felt it would be all along. But we dug in deep, stuck to the game plan and got the job done at the end of the day,” Rebello added.

Somerset Trojans: A.Burrows, A.Lambert, S.Riley, M.Wade, D.Minors, J.Scott (capt), S.Astwood, S.Simmons, R.Wilson (R.Bascome, 66 mins), D.Stovell (C.Robinson, 77 mins), J.Butterfield (A.Burchall, 75 mins).

Boulevard: N.Darrell, K.Butterfield (J.Payne, 26 mins), J.Samuels, P.Dill, C.Matthews, D.Warren (R.Burgess, 85 mins), C.Simmons, D.Taylor (L.Crofton, 70 mins), C.Trott, S.Crwell (capt), A.Simmons.

Yellow cards: S.Simmons (Trojans); C.Simmons (Bouled).

Men of the match: D.Minors (Trojans); J.Samuels (Boulevard).

Referee: Jenny Villamarin.

Dandy Stars advanced to the women’s FA Cup final courtesy of a 5-0 drubbing of St.George’s in yesterday’s curtain raiser at the Oval.

Nina Webb, Shuntae Todd, Tamesha Wolfe and Rickelle Smith were all on target for Stars, while St.George’s’ Sharmaine Simmons netted an own goal to complete the rout.