(East won 5-4 on penalties) It was fitting that Mel Gibbons, the man who scored a brilliant hat-trick in the East's fightback from 4-1 down, should score the deciding penalty to give them victory in yesterday's Shell Under-21 All-Star match.

The players, escaping the pressure of league action, were able to enjoy themselves and as such produced a highly entertaining match.

The West enjoyed a dream start with two goals inside the first six minutes, which left Gibbons and his team-mates with plenty of work to do.

Devon Bailey opened the scoring for the West in the first minute from close range after Zane Hendrickson parried Shaun Roberts' shot. And when Jermaine Rumley scored on a breakaway in the sixth minute to make it 2-0 it looked like being a rout for the West who won last year's match.

But a brilliant first goal from Gibbons, the Devonshire Colts livewire, who hammered the ball into the roof of the net from an acute angle in the 10th minute, helped keep the match wide open.

Goals were coming at a steady rate as Jelani Scott then raced through the East defence to reclaim the West's two-goal lead in the 17th minute with a brilliant solo effort.

It stayed 3-1 until the early minutes of the second half when, after Burrows made a good one-handed save for the West, Shawn Roberts of Dandy Town extended a boot to beat Hendrickson to a cross from the left and make it 4-1.

It should have been all over at that stage but Gibbons was only just getting started. And with both teams throwing caution to the wind in an enterprising game, more goals were bound to come.

Mel's magic inspires fightback From Page 23 The East were not daunted by the three goal margin and in the space of just seven minutes the match turned from 4-1 in the West's favour to 4-4.

Gibbons scored his second goal in the 57th minute to make it 4-2 and then the slightly built winger cut the West's lead to one goal with another strike on the hour from the penalty spot after his own goalbound header from a corner was handled on the goal-line at the far post. Gibbons calmly placed his spotkick to the 'keeper's left.

That goal further inspired the East players and Shakai Crockwell tied it up at 4-4 when he scored in the 64th minute after squeezing the ball between Burrows and the near post.

The match then went through its longest period without a goal as the teams battled for the final 26 minutes for the clincher.

In the end penalty kicks had to decide it...and even that went down to the final kick after West 'keeper Burrows gave his team a good start by placing his kick into the roof of the net.

Roberts' miss from the second West penalty eventually separated the teams after the East scored all five of their kicks, including Gibbons' clincher which was placed low to the keeper's right.

Also scoring from the spot for the East were Jermel Simmons, Shakai Crockwell, Jah-kee Smith and Kaiwon Dill.

East: Z.Hendrickson; J.Simmons, N.Samuels, M.Jones, A.Williams, J.Smith, S.DeGraff, C.Hill, K.Dill, M.Gibbons, S.Crockwell. Sub: M.Crane.

West: A.Burrows; T.Mallory, L.Trew, R.Wilson, A.Lambert, S.Roberts, R.Beach, J.Bascome, D.Bailey, J.Rumley, J.Scott. Subs: Nasir Wade, Nadir Wade.

Referee: Ervin Simmons Man of the match: Mel Gibbons Photos by Ras Mykkal Stay back: Devarr Boyles of the West keeps Kevin Jennings (right) at arm's length during yesterday's senior All-Star match at Somerset. The East beat the West 3-1.