Dandy Town 4 Somerset Eagles 0

Somerset Eagles landed yesterday - crash-landed that is!

The bottom-placed Premier Division team were staring relegation in the face following a second-half blitz that saw Dandy Town - also in danger of demotion - bag four goals after a scoreless first half.

On the back of an outstanding performance up front by teenager Khano Smith - enjoying his break from college in the United States with two classy goals - and well supported by Reggie Tucker, Carlos Smith and Seyoum Tuzo, Town snatched three crucial points.

The tense hush that gripped St. John's Field for the match's first 50 minutes was broken by an eruption of cheers in the 54th minute when Tucker side-footed Carlos Smith's cross, from deep in the right corner, into the net.

Thereafter the proverbial floodgates opened and Town, who were frustratingly kept at bay in the first half by resolute defender Desmond Burgess and by their own sloppy finishing, seemed eager to compensate.

Khano, recently named a First Team All-American player for the second successive year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, led the charge with blistering bursts of speed down the left flank and through the middle.

He took Town 2-0 up in the 63rd minute by slotting past Eagles goalie Marcell Dill who had initially rushed off his line to thwart the oncoming Tucker before the rebound fell kindly for his team-mate.

Khano's namesake, Carlos, added the third in the 69th minute when, with one deft move, he hooked a long ball from midfield towards goal with his left foot from about ten yards. The scorer was more relieved than jubilant to see the ball deflect into the net from the left post as he had missed at least three easy chances in the first half.

Finally, it was Khano who rightfully had the pleasure of signing off on Town's victory with a dazzling solo effort in the 81st minute. Receiving the ball about 20 yards from goal, he pushed it past a defender and the oncoming keeper and, sprinting past them, reached the ball just in time to flick it into the goal with his right boot before it went out of touch.

To rub salt in the visitors' wounds, Rodre (Piper) Wilson, a second-half substitute, was ejected with just minutes to play for kicking Brendan O'Riordan in the backside deliberately.

That just about summed up where the West End team was feeling the pain.

Dandy Town: A.Lightbourne, J.Robinson (S.Smith, 31 mins), M.Lowe, L.Furbert, L.Christopher, B.O'Riordan, G.Foggo (S.Wilson, 79 mins), K.Butterfield (S.Tuzo, 35 mins) , R.Tucker, C.Smith, K.Smith.

Somerset Eagles: M.Dill, N.Smith, M.Hunt, S.Simmons, K.Simmons, A.Lambert (R.Hill, 86 mins), D.Binns, S.Dill (R.Wilson, 57 mins), L.Crofton, D.Dowling, D.Burgess.

Booked: R.Tucker (Town); L.Crofton, M.Hunt (Eagles).

Sent off: R.Wilson.

Men of the Match: K.Smith (Town); D.Burgess (Eagles).

Referee: S.Crockwell.