Somerset Trojans 4 Somerset Eagles 1

Damon Swan was hailed as the star man as Somerset Trojans thumped local rivals Somerset Eagles 4-1 to secure an FA Cup semi-final berth yesterday.

Swan scored the first and had a hand in the second as Mark Trott's men, after a slow start, comprehensively outplayed their opponents at Somerset Cricket Club.

Damon Francis scored the third with a scorching free-kick and Marvin Belboda, close behind his team-mate in the man of the match stakes, completed the rout with a far post header.

After going in at the break 2-0 down, Eagles' Lamaul Crofton had given his side hope with an exquisite goal early in the second period. But Trojans were not to be denied and rightly take their place in the final four.

"Damon Swan has a very good touch and when we utilised his strengths and got the ball into his feet that was the difference," said coach Trott. "He holds the ball up and makes some intelligent decisions.

"Damon was key in that he was different. He showed his ability to check into space, collect the ball and then make good passes. He also has instinct in and around goal. That is one of his strengths and something that has probably been worked on quite a bit in the Under-17 team. It's a natural knack he has for a big boy, to get into those spaces."

Though Trott's praise was worthy by the end of the match, neither Swan nor anyone else on the pitch showed any portent of what was to come after 39 drab first-half minutes.

In a swirling wind both sides lacked the necessary intelligence when in possession. Instead of keeping the ball on the deck, both were guilty of trying to hoof it up to the front men - the Trojans, with the wind, finding it running too far ahead of them, and the Eagles, against it, finding it coming straight back at them.

When the Trojans did manage to break the deadlock in the 40th minute it was more the result of comedic defending than striking prowess.

An attempted clearance from Eagles was hooked back into the box and when goalkeeper Winslow Williams flapped, Belboda took advantage, crossing the ball beyond the far post where Rohaan Simons lifted it back towards goal and Swan headed across the line from four yards.

Another piece of Keystone Cops football led to Trojans doubling their lead right on the whistle. The chance appeared to have gone when Belboda's cross from the byline was intercepted by Desmond Burgess. But under pressure from Swan he attempted to clear instead of letting the ball roll out of play, and only succeeded in slicing the ball into his own net from what had appeared to be an impossible angle.

Leaving the pitch complaining about `biased' officiating from referee Stuart Crockwell, Eagles returned fired-up in the hope of salvaging something.

And they were given hope in the 53rd minute when Crofton fashioned a goal with a piece of skill that Tiger Woods would have been proud of.

After dispossessing defender Francis, who had been played into trouble by goalkeeper Timmy Figuerido, Crofton closed in on goal, waited for the `keeper to make the first move and then calmly played a lofted shot over his head and into the goal at the far post.

Fears that the Trojans were about to capitulate grew when Williams produced the save of the match from Simons in the 63rd minute. Belboda played the ball across to the unmarked frontman eight yards out and he unleashed a venomous shot that seemed destined for the net, only for Williams to leap, cat-like, bring the ball down on the goal-line and then react smartly to gather it up.

However, Eagles hard work came to nought six minutes later when Marcell Dill needlessly hacked down Belboda on the edge of the box. Francis stepped up to take the kick and fired a bullet past Williams to restore Trojans' two goal advantage.

Tempers flared moments when Richard Scott and Crofton were involved in an off-the-ball incident. Just who was the aggressor was not clear, but Crofton's attempted punch should have been enough to warrant his expulsion. Referee Crockwell appeared to miss that, though a significant portion of the crowd, which included Bermuda Football Association president Larry Mussenden, did not. Both men were yellow carded, Crockwell giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Thankfully, Belboda got everyone back thinking of football in the 77th minute when his hard work was rewarded with the final goal. The veteran planted a header from a raking Gary Ray cross in at the far post and then ran off revealing a Superman T-shirt to those massed in the stands.

Trojans: T.Figuerido; D.Francis; G.Ray; R.Scott; K.Roberts; D.Lawler; T.Davis; S.Riley (D.Stovell, 59 mins); D.Swan; M.Belboda (J.Daniels, 79 mins); R.Simons (D.Ming, 70 mins).

Eagles: W.Williams; M.Dill; K.Simmons; D.Burgess; A.Lambert (J.Tucker, 65 mins); S.Dill (G.Hill, 78 mins); M.Butterfield; S.Simmons; N.Smith; L.Crofton; S.Burrows (D.Dowling, 49 mins).

Booked: R.Scott (Trojans); D.Burgess; M.Dill, L.Crofton (Eagles).

Men of the match: D.Swan (Trojans); A.Lambert (Eagles).

Referee: Stuart Crockwell.