Boulevard 3 Dandy Town 5

Dandy Town went top of the Premier Division after beating title rivals Boulevard in an eight-goal thriller at BAA Field yesterday.

The impressive victory completes a remarkable turnaround for Hornets who started the season so slowly but are now one point clear of Devonshire Cougars and Blazers.

Kevin Hurdle gave the visitors an early lead with a venomous free-kick before Damon Ming doubled his team's advantage finishing off a mazy run with a low drive past Blazers goalkeeper Shejuan Swan.

A lethargic looking Blazers were struggling to contain Hornets' array of attacking talent but managed to pull a goal back just before the interval when Raymond Burgess met Angelo Simmons' corner with a towering header.

Hornets should have extended their lead when substitute striker Raymond Beach somehow lifted the ball over the bar from close range just after the break.

Blazers also had Reiko Trott to thank for keeping them in the game when the Bermuda Under-23 international used his body to bravely block Ming's goal-bound effort.

But whatever Blazers new coach, Michael Parsons, said in his half-time team-talk seemed to do the trick as the hosts appeared far hungrier than in the first period and drew level when Simmons latched onto a through ball and finished smartly past 'keeper Daniel Johnson.

Soon after Beach then squandered another scoring opportunity when he was foiled by Blazers' unorthodox 'keeper Swan who saved with his feet.

Both teams were pushing hard for the victory and it took something special to separate them when Hornets' Jared Peniston blasted a shot from the edge of the area into the top corner.

A dreadful pass-back from Trott then gifted Hornets another goal with Beach the chief beneficiary of the defensive blunder, calmly rounding Swan before tapping home.

Credit to Blazers, though, who showed plenty of fighting spirit and won a penalty when George Dyer was adjudged to have hauled down substitute Drewonde Bacome.

Skipper Ajani Gibbons stepped up to convert the spot-kick with a powerful shot to breathe life into Blazers' comeback hopes.

It did not last long, however, with Nahki Wells scoring his team's fifth and final goal with a free-kick which Swan probably should have done better with.

Still, both teams continued to attack with purpose with Bascome missing a one-on-one for Blazers, while Wells also went close for Hornets before referee Elihu Holmes blew for full-time to end a thoroughly entertaining encounter.

Blazers coach Parsons said he was proud of team's effort despite the defeat and insisted the title was still well within their grasp.

"Dandy Town have now gone above us with this win but there is a long way to go," said the former Bermuda Hogges player who decided to not play yesterday in order to concentrate in his coaching duties.

"We made a few costly mistakes but I was proud of my team's effort and nobody can say that was not an entertaining match."

As a senior player, Parsons said he felt it was his duty to take the coaching reins in the absence of Andrew Bascome who stepped down last month because not enough players were attending training sessions.

"There has been a lot of negative stuff said about Blazers this season and I felt I had to take some of the responsibility on my shoulders in the absence of Andrew (Bascome) as I have my C Licence coaching badge.

"In the last few weeks people have been saying that Blazers players are involved in gangs but I can tell you that no Blazers players are in Parkside.

"If they were they would be booted off the team.

"I know we are going to get better if we stick together and we can definitely win the title this season."

Boulevard: S.Swan, D.Bell, A.Gibbons, Jah Marley Samuels (Jahma Samuels, 52) , R.Trott, P.Parsons, M.Clemence (S.Furbert, 71), I.Coke (D.Bascome, 61), A.Simmons, R.Burgess, Q.Maynard.

Substitutes not used: K.Bean, A.Nelson, R.Broadbent

Yellow cards: M.Clemence,

Goals: Burgess, 41, Simmons 51, Gibbons, 82

Dandy Town: D.Johnson, J.Peniston, G.Dyer, S.Darrell, A.Lowe, J.Swan, K.Hurdle (T.Russell, 71), D.Ming, L.Dill (D.Leverock, 85), N.Wells, L.Tucker (R.Beach, 46)

Substitutes not used: T.Gibbons, S.DeShields

Yellow cards: K.Hurdle, N.Wells

Goals: Hurdle, 21, Ming, 35, Peniston 75, Beach, 80, Wells, 85

Referee: E.Holmes

Man of the match: J.Peniston (Hornets)