Boulevard 2

Devonshire Colts 0

Melchisedec Gibbons hit top stride at BAA Field yesterday with a superbly taken brace that catapulted unbeaten Blazers back to the top of the Premier Division and through to the Premier's Dudley Eve Cup to be played over the Christmas holiday.

The wiry forward converted on 44 and 70 minutes to put an entertaining free-flowing match beyond a dogged Colts side who paid the price for squandering a first-half penalty.

Andrew Bascome, the Boulevard coach, praised his team for the manner in which they carved up Colts using a skillful brand of football seldom seen on the Island these days.

"I was very pleased with the way the team moved the ball around the field and maintained ball possession," he said. "It was definitely one of our better performances this season and I was very pleased."

Bascome was also delighted to see Gibbons rediscover the midas touch in front of goal.

"Melchisedec was very instrumental for us and stood out the most because he was one of the few players who had on hard studs," the former Bermuda, North Village and Blazers midfielder smiled.

Out to prove they would be no pushovers, Colts missed a golden opportunity to put their noses out front midway through the half when former Wolves player Hobte Burrows hacked Andre Famous down in the box shortly after the latter slapped the woodwork with a powerful header.

The usually reliable Shannon Burgess stepped up to take the spot-kick but could only watch as his tame effort was saved by Blazers South African goalie Andrea Jjombwe, diving to his right.

Burgess' profligacy proved costly as moments later Gibbons calmly slotted into an empty net to put the finishing touches to a purposeful attack that caught Colts thin at the back.

In truth, however, Blazers should have had the match sewn up before the half but thanks to some excellent glove work between the posts by Sean Perinchief Colts managed to stay in contention until Gibbons notched his second to put the final result beyond doubt.

Perinchief positioned himself well in the early going to deny the menacing Gibbons from point-blank range and then raced of his line to courageously gather the ball from the feet of Michael Parsons.

He also threw himself full-length to push Takeyhi Walker's goal-bound shot around the post and was again in the thick of the action to smother Gibbons' close range header.

But for all their crisp passing, sharp running into space and long-balls that caused Blazers plenty of concern at the rear, Colts had nothing to show for their efforts during the interval as Gibbons made the visitors pay for failing to convert from the spot.

Colts showed good intent from the outset and with better luck should have opened their account when forward Kyle Jones was put through. But with goal at his mercy Jones lifted his shot over the bar when scoring seemed easier.

Famous then headed against the bar as Colts continued to enjoy their best spell of the match before Burgess' penalty miss knocked them off stride.

Blazers piled on the pressure in search of more goals after the break as Colts faded out of the match.

Perinchief denied the resourceful Parsons, who took a nasty knock right on the final whistle, from close range. Blazers workhorse Wolde Place also came close with a long range effort that skidded just wide while Walker struck the post after some neat approach work by Gibbons and Burrows.

Blazers sub Sergio Robinson wasted a golden opportunity as he hesitated to pull the trigger after Parsons did well to shake off his marker and supply a well-measured cross.

But just when it seemed as though Gibbons' first-half tally would do the trick, the veteran player went one better with a swerving blast from 25 yards that had goal written all over it the moment the ball flew off his right boot.

A soft header from Marco Piper that was easily saved by Jjombwe proved to be the closest Colts came to scoring in the second-half.

Blazers' fourth league win of the season earned them a two-point lead over second-placed Devonshire Cougars, the only other team to qualify for this season's Dudley Eve Cup which kicks off December 18.

Boulevard: A.Jjombwe, J.Payne, C.Trott, A.Gibbons, H.Burrows, P.Parsons, W.Place, D.Taylor (S.Robinson, 55 mins), T.Walker (capt), M.Gibbons, M.Parsons.

Devonshire Colts: S.Perinchief, J.Butterfield (capt), Q.Jones, E.Wilkin, K.Martin, A.Famous, S.Burgess (C.Trotty, 75 mins), O.Ray, M.Piper, Z.Darrell, K.Jones.

Booked: K.Martin, A.Famous, O.Ray, M.Piper (Colts).

Man of the match: M.Gibbons (Boulevard)

Referee: George O'Brien.