Adolfus Lambert showed wasteful team-mates and opponents alike how to finish with a cracking first-half strike that was enough to give Eagles victory at White Hill Field yesterday.

Chances galore went begging in this entertaining encounter, but Lambert made no mistake when his opportunity arrived three minutes before the interval.

A neat passing move by the home side culminated with Sean Simmons rolling the ball across to Lambert 18 yards from goal on the left side of the penalty area. Lambert took one touch to control before lashing a left-foot shot into the top right-hand corner of the net.

Boulevard, meanwhile, can count themselves a little unlucky to come away from this evenly-fought battle with nothing.

The closest they came to an equaliser was in the 87th minute when Dwight (Payback) Warren shot through a crowd of players after Eagles failed to clear a corner, but the ball came out off the upright.

It was the Blazers who looked the better side in the early stages. In the 11th minute, they had an opportunity presented to them when Eagles? goalkeeper Ian Raynor carried the ball outside his penalty area. Michael Parsons? shot from the resulting free kick cannoned away off the defensive wall.

Tory Davis spurned another chance for the visitors, when he failed to test the goalkeeper after being teed up 18 yards out by Gregory Johnson.

A couple of dangerous crosses from the left from the powerful Rodre (Piper) Wilson was the best Eagles had to offer until they upped the pressure in the last five minutes of the first half.

First Lambert played the ball into an unmarked Marcel Dill, ten yards from a gaping goal net, but the striker leaned back as he swivelled to shoot and the ball flew over the bar.

Two minutes later, Lambert himself broke the deadlock and in the 43rd minute, Eagles were agonisingly close to doubling their lead, after Jabrell Tucker?s left-wing cross was headed against the inside of the post by the lively Darren Dowling.

Boulevard made a change at half time, introducing striker Dennis Russell as a replacement for Jamel Samuels, as Warren moved back into a central midfield role.

The adjustment appeared to work as the Blazers piled forward in search of an equaliser as gaps appeared in an Eagles rearguard with an inclination to panic.

A long throw in the first minute of the second half caused mayhem in the home side?s penalty area and the pinball ended with Warren?s goalbound shot bouncing to safety off a defender?s legs.

More panic ensued when Davis lobbed a hopeful free-kick into the box and Eagles once more repeatedly failed to clear, but Blazers? Jahmah Samuels failed to capitalise, missing the target by inches.

At the other end, Simmons played in Dill with a delightfully curled pass, but the striker?s shot harmlessly across the goalmouth.

And in the 73rd minute, Lambert nearly scored his second, as his fierce left-foot shot was superbly palmed away by Broadbelt. The rebound fell to off-balance substitute Tyrone Smith six yards out, but he scooped his effort over the top.

Pace blazed over the top for Boulevard from ten yards out after Johnson had sent him clear and the visitors pushed forward in droves in the last ten minutes. Jahmah Samuels? header from a corner was hacked clear off the line and then came Warren?s shot against the woodwork.

Eagles managed to hold out to give themselves three crucial points in their battle to avoid the drop.: I.Raynor, M.Butterfield, E.Greenwood, D.Burgess, J.Tucker, S.Worrell, S.Simmons, M.Dill (K.Richardson 83), A.Lambert, R.Wilson, D.Dowling (T.Smith 63). R.Broadbelt, C.Trott (N.Darrell 30), S.Lewis, T.Davis, T.Trott, G.Johnson, Jamah Samuels, Jamel Samuels (D.Russell 45), M.Parsons, D.Warren, M.Pace (D.Samuels 81).: M.Dill, E.Greenwood (Eagles); D.Warren (Boulevard). Sean Simmons (Eagles); Stanton Lewis (Boulevard) Anthony Mouchette