Dandy Town 7

North Village 3

Hat-trick heroes Antoine Russell and Raymond Beach led nine-men Dandy Town to a thumping of North Village in the Martonmere Cup at BAA Field last night.

Russell scored Town's first two goals before Beach added his name to the tally for the first time to make the score, before Ralph Bean Jr. pulled a goal back for Village just before the break.

Keith Jennings drove home a free-kick to make the score 3-2 early in the first half.

Yet the goals kept flooding in with Lionel Furbert giving the men from St. John's Field another two-goal safety net, which in the end proved the difference.

Kewande Butterfield was sent off for a second bookable offence, and when Tarik Jennings scored to put Village back within one it seemed a draw was still on the cards for the trailing side.

Jacquel Smith was then stretchered off with Town having to go down to nine men after using their allocated substitutes.

However, in the end it was the same two stars that sparkled with Beach and Russell completing their hat-tricks late in the second half.

Russell completed his first after scoring the fifth goal while Beach ended the match with the last two, making the final score 7-3 and leaving their side on top of the heap in Group B.

"It was a little hard to get into at first but as the match settled I became more comfortable," said Russell.

"This was my first start of the season so it took some time to get adjusted to the game, but the match was hard fought by both teams regardless of the scoreline.

"I was told before the game by my coach that this game was about business and business only.

"Up three goals I thought it was over but Village thought otherwise, but in the end it was character that we showed being down two men with one being sent off and one injured after all our subs were used."

North VIllage:

C.Augustus, K.Dill, R.Spence, J. Boyles, K.Smith, G.Johnson, V.Tankard (T.Jennings), K.Jennings (T.Outerbridge), J.Peniston, P.Smith, R.Bean

Dandy Town: M.Crockwell, E.Signor, K.Butterfield, B.Minors, M.Campbell, L.Furbert, J.Smith, L.Dill, A.Russell, R.Beach, H.Wolfe

Referee: R. Cann

Man-of-the-Match: A.Russell (Dandy Town)

Devonshire Cougars 1 PHC 1

Teenaged Bermuda internationals Casey Castle and Tumani Steede were both in goalscoring form for their respective clubs during last night's impasse between PHC and Devonshire Cougars.

The talented duo, who were called up to the senior national team for last month's Digicel Cup in Cayman Islands, outlined their promise with their eye-catching showings suggesting they can both make a big impression this season.

Castle, son of PHC assistant Jack Castle, struck early in the first half to give the defending Martonmere Cup holders a perfect start in their 'dead rubber' fixture, with both teams having already secured their passage to the next phase of the competition.

Zebras' lead did not last long though with Steede, son of former Cougars legend Cyril "Dago" Steede, showcasing his predatory instincts to give the scoreline parity midway through the first period.

"Tumani can be a real impact player for us," said new Cougars coach Devar Boyles. "He needs to be a bit more patient but he has lots of enthusiasm and took his goal very well."

PHC, who finished top of Group A on goal difference, started strongly and took the lead with Castle breezing past Bermuda team-mate Darius Cox down the right channel, before cutting inside the box and riffling his shot into the roof of the net.

But his audacious strike was cancelled out by Steede who capitalised on a error by PHC's Corey Dowling who failed to clear his defensive lines allowing the young Cougars poacher to pinch the ball off his toes and calmly stroke it past the keeper.

Castle went close again in the second half but saw his stabbed shot blocked by 'keeper Ricardo Brangman, while Cougars Randy Robinson's long range effort was well held by Raymond Glasford.

Cougars coach Boyles added that he was relatively pleased with his team's performances in the Martonmere Cup group stages, but admitted he was concerned about the fitness of his players.

"The technical ability of my players has impressed me but we still have to work on our fitness levels," he said.

Devonshire Cougars:

R.Brangman, O.Butterfield (J.Butterfield 31), K.Franks, D.Cox, S. Brangman, M.Steede (K.Tucker 55), K.Steede, R.Robinson, I.Mallory (Z.White 74), M.Smith, T.Steede

Subs: Mark Steede, R.Swan, M.Doucet

PHC:

R.Glasford, K.Richards, C.Dowling, B.Bean, J.Ball, J.Almedia, C.Furbert, K.Lewis, J.Franklin (R.Jahnai 64), L.Holder (A.Grant 82), C.Castle (Q.Burgess 82)

Subs: J.Smith, T.Hall, J.Sealey, M.Lambe

Referee: A.Francis

Yellow cards:

K.Steede (Devonshire Cougars)

O.Butterfield (Devonshire Cougars)

Man-of-the-Match:

K.Lewis (PHC)