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Defensive blunder hands Hornets a final spot

(Photo by Akil Simmons)Somerset's Leo Burgess challenges K'Wonde Lathan of Dandy Town for the ball during yesterday's Friendship Trophy semi-final at Wellington Oval. Town won 2-1.

Dandy Town 2Somerset Trojans 1A defensive lapse in the dying stages of the first Frienship Trophy semi final enabled Dandy Town to book their place in the final with a win over Somerset Trojans at Wellington Oval yesterday.Town erased a Johnny Bean goal that opened the scoring for the west enders in the 55th minute with strikes from substitute Lorenzo Simmons in the 64th and Angelo Simmons, who wrapped up the win through the blunder in the 85th.A game that was expected to produce fireworks was ultimately decided by a hash of a back pass by Jameko Harvey-Outerbridge that allowed Simmons a clean run on the Trojans goal.With only Ricardo Brangman Jr to beat in the Somerset goal, Simmons rounded him, held off a desperate Harvey-Outerbridge, and was composed enough to slide home from six yards to effectively win the game.“In the nevry parts of games, as a coach you can’t get frustrated or think too much, you have to analyse each scenario as it plays out and make your adjustments,” said Hornets coach Jomar Wilkinson.“Their mistake was the difference in the two teams and who would go on, but we always knew that pressure is key to a game like this and we were ready to pounce on the mistake.“It was a good result for us in terms of getting the commitment and dedication from the side as a unit and we got through it together as a team. There were times that we didn’t play our best but we still knew we could win the match and go to the final.”Trojans had the best chances of what was a cautious first half in which neither side seemed comfortable, but winger Adolphus Lambert saw his effort fly wide of the intended target.Bean’s effort ten minutes into the second half got the crowd into the match after Lambert slid the pacy striker behind the Town back four to devastating effect, cleverly slotting past an onrushing Treadwell Gibbons.Bean wasn’t done with the theatrics, however, after linking up with Harvey-Outerbridge moments later on a neat one-two at the top of the Town area, with only an alert Gibbons stopping a potential second.Wilkinson made the chance of the match in the 60th bringing on Lorenzo Simmons to deadly affect, with his first touch seeing his header beat Brangman in goal to level matters in the 64th.It was left up to one the two sides to make a mistake that would settle matters, and it would be Harvey-Outerbridge to be the villain after his back pass gifted Angelo Simmons his chance to win the match for the city side.“They are always a challenging side and today showed it again and it came down to the wire and even through injury time they kept coming but it was important for us to maintain our level of composure to see it out.“The result is a complement to the players that we can hold our nerve, come back in a tight situation, and then to go on and win the game after a good defensive display once we went up.”The second place in the final will be settled tonight when Devonshire Cougars tackle Southampton Rangers at Goose Gosling Field, with kick off at 9pm.The first match of the night will see Devonshire Colts take on Somerset Eagles, with first whistle at 7pm.Dandy Town: T Gibbons, K Lathan, K Tucker, J Stowe, R Trott, K Wade, D Butterfield (C Burgess, 73), A Simmons, S Darrell, A Grant (L Simmons, 55), S Furbert (A Gibbons, 90). Subs not used: L Tucker, T Goater, R Wells, D JohnsonBooked: R Trott, S DarrellGoals: L Simmons, 64, A Simmons, 85Somerset Trojans: R Brangman, J Rogers, T Ming, I Mallory, J Harvey-Outerbridge, A Lambert, Alton Trott (M Jones, 77), T Burgess, S Brangman, L Burgess (J Simmons, 60), J Bean. Subs not used: J Simmons, T Wade, J Butterfield J Donawa 24, Nacori Smith 16Goals: J Bean, 55Referee: A MouchetteMan of the Match: J Stowe (Town)