Dandy Town 3

St George's 1

Ten-men Dandy Town kept pace with North Village at the top of the table with a hard fought win over St George's at St John's Field yesterday.

Goals from skipper –Raymond Beach, Tristan Daniels and Jamel Swan were enough to give the champions the win, while former Hornet Jahron Dickinson scored from the penalty spot after –Treadwell Gibbons was sent off for a professional foul.

In a match that was crucial to both sides' chances at either end of the league, it would be the goalkeepers who would have the most impact on the match.

It took just four minutes for the game to spring into life, with Colts goalkeeper Freddy Hall making a fine save from a Wolde Place strike before –denying Beach with a diving effort.

It would be Hall's error, however, in the 25th minute that gifted Town their first –after he was stripped of the ball in the corner of his area by Saki Tuzo who slid the ball across the face of goal for a simple tap in for Beach.

Two minutes later Daniels doubled his side lead when he rifled a free kick in the far –corner of Hall's goal, which the net minder having no chance of saving.

St George's were given a lifeline when Gibbons hauled down Allan Douglas jr. in the area on 33 minutes, with –referee Ronue Cann having no choice but to show the Dandy Town goalkeeper a red card.

Dickinson duly stepped up and scored his effort, although new 'keeper Deaz Chambers, who replaced goalscorer Daniels, got a hand to it.

The two-goal advantage was restored when an individual piece of brilliance from Swan saw the midfielder ride a –tackle before calmly chipping Hall on the cusp of half time.

The second half didn't produce as much excitement as the first, but St George's did have a few chances late on to try and bring themselves back into the match and cause a nervous finish to the game for Town and their fans.

Chambers denied both David Signor and Jerreau –Hayward headers in the dying stages of the game from –corners, while the visitors also had a goal disallowed in injury time for the ball going out of bounds before coming back in from a corner.

"We wanted it more, we played with heart but they came to fight and they should be credited for their work as well," said defender Jared Peniston.

"Obviously being down a man made it harder for us but today was a team effort and we stuck to our plan and it all worked out.

"We played with heart and –desire and in the end it was what we needed."

Dandy Town: T Gibbons, J Butterfield, K Tucker F Frankson, S Darrell, S Tuzo (C Anderson, 54), J Peniston (K Hurdle, 80), R Beach, T Daniels (D Chambers, 32), W Place, J Swan Subs not used: S Brown, T Daniels.

Sent off: T Gibbons.

Goals: R Beach (25), T Daniels (27), J Swan (43).

St George's: F Hall, E Signor, D Signor, C Simmons (M Simmons, 71), Jerreau Hayward, Jeremie Hayward (G Johnson, 54), J Dickinson, C Darrell (M Crane, 54), A Douglas, G Wade, J Bassett. Subs not used: J Carlington, R Dickinson, W Jones, P Anderson.

Booked: A Douglas, J Dickinson.

Goal: J Dickinson (33).

Referee: R Cann.

Man fo the Match: J Swan.