Dandy Town 2 North Village 2

(after extra time)

Controversy soured this hard-fought Friendship Trophy derby between urban rivals Dandy Town and North Village at St. John's Field yesterday.

After the players had exchanged blows for 120 minutes on the pitch, referee George O'Brien then indicated that the teams would have to do battle all over again in a replay when extra-time failed to produce a winner.

But as both sides left the pitch, Bermuda Football Association (BFA) officials Charles Clarke and Willis Dill raced towards the match officials to inform them that according to Trophy rules, the clash should be decided by penalties.

However, when team officials and players were notified of those rules, both clubs appeared hesitant to go back out onto the pitch, effectively forcing the BFA to reschedule the tie for a later date.

Only last November the Friendship Trophy match involving Somerset Trojans and Boulevard went to extra-time before Blazers finally settled the issue from the penalty spot.

And yesterday's match at St.John's Field - according to regulations - should have taken the same route.

Apart from the indecisive ending to this quarter-final tie, fans were treated to some fairly entertaining football - although the two Premier Division giants hardly provided a classic.

Throughout the game Town appeared to have a slight physical edge over their opponents and for the most part did just enough to keep the Reds out of their comfort zone.

But in the early stages a well rested Village took the match to the recently-crowned Champions Cup winners, Vernon Tankard and Kevin Jennings producing some penetrative running down the flanks while strikers Mackie Crane and Nakia Smith repeatedly chiselled away at the Hornets defence.

But for all their early dominance it was Town who took the lead in dramatic fashion through a gem of a goal from stalwart Carlos Smith in the 12th minute.

Always a threat on the quick break, Smith took a half-hearted clearance down on his chest before whipping the ball into the roof of the net with the outside of his right boot from an acute angle on the fringe of the 18-yard box. It was a goal Reds ‘keeper Adrian Burrows would not have stopped had he known it was coming his way a week ago.

But the debate over whether the shot was intentional or not probably carried on into the night.

Smith's strike against the run of play breathed confidence into the Hornets attack that pinned Village down at the back for long spells as forwards Smith, Seyoum (Zappy) Tuzo, Lashun Dill and Kevin Hurdle threw everything they could muster at Burrows who put on a stellar performance between the posts.

At the opposite end Town custodian Cymandie Davis was no less on top of his game, hurling himself in the air and all along the ground while taking firm command of his area.

But while Town enjoyed the lions share of possession during the opening half, Village almost sneaked an equaliser minutes before the break with Crane, Smith and Kevin Jennings all going close.

Then just as they had done so earlier, Town struck a telling blow right on the half when Tuzo jumped all over a loose ball inside the area and clinically drilled the ball into the far corner past a beaten Burrows to earn Hornets a comfortable cushion at the break.

However, after restart, Village appeared to have finally got the cassava pie and Christmas turkey out of their system as they gradually came into their own and had Hornets on the defensive.

It took Village only two minutes into the second-half to reduce the deficit as captain Ralph Bean Jr somehow managed to squeeze the ball through a maze of players past Davis who appeared to have been blinded during the play.

The fierce clash many had paid to see was finally on.

Amid a period of Village dominance, Town striker Khano Smith strolled onto the pitch for the first time since last November and immediately his presence made an impact.

Time and time again the lanky frontman created tense moments running down the flanks while testing Burrows from just about every range on the pitch.

At the opposite end Village pressed on in search of the crucial equaliser.

And just moments after Crane had a glancing header plucked by Davis and Kevin Jennings sliced a shot wide of the target with only the ‘keeper to beat, the defending Friendship champions were thrown a life-line in the 80th minute when a Town defender handled the ball in the box.

Ensuring his goal-a-game streak continued since rejoining Village, Nakia Smith wrong-footed Davis with his spot kick to send the affair into extra-time - but not before Town substitute Jared Peniston brought the crowd to their feet with a tracer of a shot that narrowly missed its target.

Both teams created chances to settle the issue in extra-time only to be denied by the sheer brilliance of Davis and Burrows between the sticks.

With the sun shining brightly in his face, Davis positioned himself well to thwart Smith from distance while at the other end Carlos Smith lobbed over from close range and Burrows did well to turn away thunderous blasts from the boots of Tuzo, Khano Smith and Maurice Lowe.

Dandy Town: C.Davis, J.Simons, M.Lowe, K.Mundy, B.Minors, D.Zuill (O.Steede, 57 mins), L.Furbert (capt), S.Tuzo, K.Hurdle (K.Smith, 55 mins), C.Smith, L.Dill (J.Peniston, 68 mins)

North Village: A.Burrows, K.Dill, J.Boyles, Ken.Jennings, S.Goater (R.Spence, 90 mins), D.Edwards (M.Hansey, 76 mins), Kev.Jennings (K.Dill, 85 mins), V.Tankard, R.Bean Jr (capt), N.Smith, M.Crane.

Yellow cards: D.Zuill, K.Hurdle (Town); N.Smith (Village)

Men of the match: C.Davis (Town); A.Burrows (Village)

Referee: George O'Brien.