North Village 7 Ireland Rangers 2

A clinically executed Keishen Bean hat-trick propelled North Village to an emphatic victory over relegated Ireland Rangers and a third league championship in five seasons ? and seventh overall ? on a wet and windy afternoon of football at Bernard Park yesterday.

Bean, playing his first full season of senior football, demonstrated the precision finishing that earned him a call to national team duty last week by converting three goals during a tumultuous 11-minute spell which quickly killed off any hopes Rangers might have had of springing an upset over Village in their own back yard.

With league glory in sight, Village threw caution to the wind and repeatedly punished their opponents? porous defence during a lopsided affair.

Yesterday?s win earned Village coach Dwayne (Streaker) Adams a league championship in his first season at the helm of the team ? the second coach to achieve that feat behind Devonshire Cougars? coach and former Reds midfield schemer Andrew Bascome.

?This is great! It?s great to be able to give something back and at this point I?m happy to give back to a club that gave me so much,? a champagne drenched Adams told The Royal Gazette.

?The hallmark for this team?s success has been an overall team effort. I could easily single out particular players and we have had our share of issues in the camp this season. But at the end of the day this has been a team effort.?

Yesterday would prove no exception as Village wasted no time stamping their authority on the match. And once Nakia Smith had put the Reds ahead for good after only two minutes, the home team never once looked back.

Before either team had time to adjust to the muddy conditions, Smith shifted Village?s championship celebrations into high gear when he outpaced the Rangers? defence and slotted the ball past the onrushing Ricky Tucker after being fed through the middle.

Smith then had two bites at the cherry to add to his team?s tally when he headed a Damon Wade cross inches wide and then missed a sitter with only Tucker to contend with.

Having clearly established dominance, it was never a matter of whether would Village win . . . but by how many.

Always a threat, Keith Jennings nearly added his name to the scoresheet with a spectacular diving header that rolled inches wide and then had another effort graze the bar while Ralph Bean jr inexplicably lobbed over from yards out with Tucker stranded in no man?s land.

At the opposite end, Rangers nearly scored against the run of play when Henry Santucci saw his snapshot turned around the post by Village ?keeper Zane Hendrickson during one of the visitors? sporadic raids on goal.

But Rangers? luck finally ran out as Village went on a three-goal blitz just prior to the end of the half.

First Smith rose at the near post to powerfully head home a Kevin Jennings corner, Ralph Bean then capitalised on some sloppy goalkeeping on Tucker?s behalf while Keishen Bean netted the first of his treble to give Village a commanding 4-0 lead at the break.

?It feels great to be a champion again,? said Smith, unlucky not to have bagged a treble himself. ?It feels great being back home with my boys and right now words can?t really describe the love I feel for this team.?

Smith now has his sights set on winning the triple crown championship of League, Friendship Trophy and FA Cup.

Village meet Dandy Town in next month?s Friendship final at the National Sports Centre and are pitted against Prospect United in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

?We just have to take things one match at a time,? Smith added.

Even though Rangers caught Village off guard with a thunderous Jermaine Saltus volley and an equally outstanding effort from Santucci in the second half, by then the writing had long been on the wall.

Saltus netted arguably the goal of the game with a gem from 25 yards out that beat ?keeper Hendrickson for pace.

Yet before the dust had settled Keishen Bean had restored Village?s four-goal advantage with a delicate chip from outside the 18-yard box that soared over the stranded ?keeper?s head.

The 18-year-old striker then completed his hat-trick by stroking the ball home after being sent clear by a Tyrell Burgess pass up the middle.

?I?m really excited right now,? the Bermuda College student stated. ?This is my very first season playing Premier Division football and here I am celebrating a league title.?

Bean, son of former Somerset Eagles midfielder Wayne Bean, paid tribute to his team-mates.

?I received some good service from my team-mates today, particularly from Keith and Nakia,? said Bean, invited to train with New England Revolution last week.

With victory all but in the bag, Village stalwart Wade ? a constant menace waltzing down Rangers? right flank ? sent the home crowd into ecstasy and the Reds into seventh heaven with a merciless drive that cut a path along the ground to goal.

Rangers, who had their three-game unbeaten streak snapped, then grabbed their second goal when Santucci beat Kentoine Jennings ? having swapped places with Hendrickson in goal ? with a low drive from 25 yards out minutes before Bernard Park erupted in jubilation.

North Village: Z.Hendrickson, Kev.Jennings (R.Wilson, 55 mins), K.Dill, Ken.Jennings (capt), K.Jennings, D.Edwards, R.Bean jr (K.Dill, 60 mins), D.Wade, N.Smith, K.Bean (J.Simmons, 77 mins), T.Burgess.

Ireland Rangers: R.Tucker, W.Anderson, S.Brangman (capt) (S.Fubler, 75 mins), J.Saltus, C.Anderson, T.Mallory, A.Trott, S.Smith, M.Smith, H.Santucci, J.Bean.

Yellow cards: Kev.Jennings, D.Edwards (Village); R.Tucker, C.Anderson (Rangers).

Men of the match: K.Bean (Village); H.Santucci (Rangers).

Referee: Jenny Villamarin.