Wolves 2 North Village 3

North Village capitalised on their most promising start to a match for more than a month and then held on with a steely determination to knock Wolves from the top of the Premier Division table at BAA Field yesterday.

Village came into the match mired in a five-game league and cup losing streak and, although Kentoine Jennings was returning to the starting line-up after a cameo appearance last weekend, their prospects did not look good against a Wolves side full of running and confidence. But the home side didn't count on being two goals down before they had broken a sweat.

Jennings opening the scoring in the fourth minute when he was quickest to react after Kevin Jennings' free kick from 20 yards came back off the underside of the bar. Five minutes later, Wolves were two down after the unfortunate Jamel Simmons sliced over Corby Durrant's head when attempting to clear a left-wing cross by Kevin Jennings.

From this point, Wolves were always chasing the game, and it threatened to get worse at the 20-minute mark when Kentoine Jennings missed with a twice-taken penalty after he was brought down by Taurianno Trott. The first attempt was superbly saved by Durrant, diving low to his right and, on the second, Jennings chose the same corner but hit the outside of the post with the goalkeeper well beaten.

By now it was all that Dennis Brown, the Wolves coach who felt that too many decisions were going against him, could take and he laid into referee Stuart Crockwell with a few choice words that earned his dismissal from the bench. "I asked him if he learned anything from the referee (Ray Olivier, the referees' lecturer from England) who came here for the November 11 match," Brown said later. "I think he took that personally and he sent me off the bench, but I have no qualms about what I said. They're looking at players week in and week out but the referees' mentalities have to change as well."

Brown admitted that his team started in lethargic manner but there was nothing sluggish about the 31st minute goal that got them back into the match, Peter Sampson scoring with a firm header on the end of a cross from the right by Vince Minors.

It was just the fillip that Wolves needed but, with only five minutes remaining in the half, they fell to another sucker punch. Kevin Jennings floated in a cross from the left and, as the Wolves defence and goalkeeper waited for the offside flag to go up, Jamaul Boyles, the smallest player on the pitch, rose to head home.

It was an untidy goal to concede after the amount of effort they had expanded but it proved ultimately to be the difference as Wolves, with a strong wind at their backs, ran the show for most of the second half.

Village's only opportunity to add to their lead came in the 56th minute but Clay Smith headed against the upright after Kentoine Jennings powerfully won a back-post header. Wolves winger Jared Peniston hit right back with a run and shot that Zane Hendrickson did well to save.

Wolves should have pulled another goal back in the 67th minute but Sampson, after another Minors cross, thought he had only to put his head to the ball from a few yards out and his tame effort was cleared off the line. It was a miss of such magnitude that Brown, who was still handling the team despite being sent off the bench, replaced him with Rashid Ebbin four minutes later.

This proved a masterstroke as Ebbin scored with his first touch in the 75th minute when he got behind Randy Spence to head in a searching cross by Peniston from the left.

That there were no more goals in the final stages was surprising, with Nakia Smith blazing over after creating space for himself and Tori Davis shooting over from distance. Village, who moved up one place to fifth in the table, fought tooth and nail for everything in a desperate attempt to reverse their recent fortunes.

"Victory was the only thing that was acceptable today, nothing less," said Village coach Scott Morton. "The two goals at the start was a good cushion for us. The last two games that had been happening to us, so it felt good to put the other team under that pressure."

Brown, meanwhile, continued to rail against the standard of officiating. "I know these guys are doing this on a voluntary basis and are getting paid minimum dollars but I think the officiating in this country needs to be looked at," he said. "A lot of decisions made in these games are very crucial decisions and referees week in and week out are making crazy decisions. It affects not only me but the players who are out there giving 100 percent."

Wolves: C.Durrant; T.Trott, A.Thomas, J.Simmons, S.Waldron; T.Davis, K.Parfitt (J.Douglas, 61 mins), V.Minors; J.Peniston, N.Smith, P.Sampson (R.Ebbin, 71 mins). Substitutes not used: M.Higgs, L.Ming, G.Georges. Booked: Sampson, Thomas.

North Village: Z.Hendrickson; R.Spence, M.Hansey, K.Binns, D.Thomas (J.Thomas, 64 mins); V.Tankard, Ken.Jennings, J.Boyles; Kev.Jennings, C.Smith (T.Outerbridge, 86 mins), S.Goater (K.Dill, 77, mins). Substitutes not used: J.Davis, C.Dill. Booked: D.Thomas, K.Dill, Hendrickson

Men of the match: Jamel Simmons (Wolves); Vernon Tankard (North Village).

Referee: Stuart Crockwell.