Boulevard 1 North Village 1

Sammy DeGraff's penalty ten minutes from time gave North Village Rams a draw against Boulevard Blazers at BAA Field yesterday and continued their resurgence under new boss Shaun Goater.

The Rams have lost just once since the former Manchester City striker took charge before Christmas and fully deserved to take something from this game.

Goater's team dominated for long periods and had they taken all three points then Blazers could have had few complaints, Keith Jennings, Ralph Bean and Nakia Smith were all guilty of blowing chances in front of goal.

DeGraff's penalty cancelled out a second-half goal from Blazers skipper Takeyhi Walker who reacted quickest to a flick-on from Mel Gibbons.

It was Blazers only real chance of a game in which Rams stifled their opponents in midfield, and with a well-organised defence that snuffed out any danger on the rare occasion that it arose.

It says much for how far Village have come in recent months that they would have been disappointed not to win, and for Goater there is plenty of evidence to suggest that his side are coming along nicely.

"We had a few chances and we didn't capitalise," he said.

"You're disappointed when you don't put away your chances, but it was a hard fought game.

"Boulevard pushed us and both teams go away with a share of the points, but we are progressing.

"They have got quality players in there that are quite effective and we had to nullify them, I was pleased.

"You play to try and create chances, and hope that on the day your guys put them away.

"I think I counted three good chances and we didn't capitalise, and so we got a point.

"It's coming along, I'm pleased, Boulevard are a team that are confident.

"They have a good work-rate and they have players of ability, so, this just shows how far we have come since I took over.

"We've come some way, I think we would have rolled over for this game (earlier in the season). We would have probably ended up losing it one or two-nil."

Boulevard actually started the stronger of the two sides, and for a time it looked like they might swamp Rams, with only a last ditch tackle from Norris Wilkinson stopping Gibbons from putting his side ahead.

Slowly though Rams got back into the game, with DeGraff and Jemeiko Jennings influencing proceedings more and more, and they should have gone ahead when Bean rose highest to DeGraff's free-kick but only managed to head it straight at Blazers keeper Randy Broadbent.

As Rams took more control, Gibbons became increasingly isolated up front, and it was much the same in the second half, however, although Rams created chances, they failed to take them.

Second half substitute Smith was played clean through and only had to lift the ball over Broadbent to give his side the lead, however he took one touch too many and only succeeded in blasting his shot straight at the goalkeeper.

Boulevard are not one of the best teams in the league for nothing though, and they made Rams pay for their wastefulness.

A quickly taken free-kick was headed on by Gibbons, and while the defence and goalkeeper Calvin Augustus froze, Walker calmly slotted the ball into the net.

A loss would have been desperately harsh on Rams, and while the tackle by Ajani Gibbons on DeGraff was hardly worthy of the name, he made just enough contact to convince referee Anthony Francis that it was a foul.

Boulevard Blazers - R.Broadbent, J.Payne, A.Gibbons, M.Parsons, C.Trott, M.Gibbons, H.Burrows, Jahmah Samuels, R.Burgess (C.Simmons, 60), T.Walker, A.Simmons. Subs not used: P.Parsons, Jahmel Samuels, W.Place, T.Clarke, S.Robinson, R.Pedroza. Booked - Trott, C.Simmons.

North Village - C.Augustus, D.Simons (N.Smith, 73), D.Edwards, K.Dill, J.Peniston, S.DeGraff, J.Jennings, R.Bean, V.Minors (J.Boyles, 69), K.Jennings. Subs not used: R.Wilson, D.Blyden, P.Smith, K.Smith, Z.Hendrickson.

Man of the match: K.Dill

Referee: A.Francis