Robin Hood 3 Somerset Trojans 1

Somerset Trojans opened the game’s scoring in the twelfth minute through a strike from Hubert Butterfield against Robin Hood in the Premier Division at Goose Gosling Field.

However, for the remainder of the game, they would struggle as they found the going tough trying to get into any form of sustained offensive rhythm, leaving Hood to capitalise on their inefficiency and emerge victorious 3-1.

What had started out so promising for Trojans quickly evaporated as home team, Robin Hood, quickly regained control of the game as they applied relentless pressure on the Trojans’ defence. With Trojans’ showing signs of cracks, Hood began methodically dissecting and exploiting the defence at will.

Hood came close to opening their account in the 27th minute after Nathan Peskett needled a pass to Shakir Smith. Smith outpaced his defender into the box and got off his shot that whistled across the face of the goal.

Undeterred by the near miss, Hood persevered and were rewarded for their hustling in the 30th minute when Lejuan Simmons raced in on goal and found Donte Brangman streaking through the middle.

Brangman latched onto Simmons’ pass, catching the Trojans’ defence back-pedalling and depositing his shot beyond the reach of Trojans’ goalkeeper, Shaquille Bean, to level the score 1-1. Hood now began asserting themselves, dictating play across the middle of the pitch and pinning the Trojans in their own half for long stretches at a time.

Finding their stride and operating on all cylinders, Hood upped the tempo and continued their assault on the Trojan goal.

If not for some brilliant first half saves from Bean, Hood may well have been up by two goals at half-time as he turned away two point-blank shots by Smith in the 35th and 39th minute to keep his side in contention.

Hood put a dagger in the Trojans in the 42nd minute when Brangman received a deep throw-in, turned sharply, dribbled into the box and found an unmarked Antwan Russell who tapped home from in close, putting Hood up 2-1.

Beginning the second half, the Trojans continued to press, but it was evident that they were out of sync on the afternoon. Not having the offensive leadership of stalwarts, Justin Corday and Tahj Wade, the Trojans’ struggles continued to be magnified on the afternoon.

However, they came close to evening the score in the 70th minute when Alton Trott had his shot smothered by Hood goalkeeper, Jason Simons, after being sent through by substitute, Jonathan Bean.

Then after being awarded a penalty in the 72nd minute, they would be thwarted again by Simons who saved brilliantly after a well-taken shot by Bean, the Trojans goalkeeper, who stepped up to take the shot.

It would prove to be Trojans’ last effort on the day as the Hood defence clamped down on every Trojans’ effort thereafter.

Insult was added to injury when Hood struck their third, decisive goal in the 82nd minute when Smith sent a long searching ball from deep on the left wing which found substitute Zuhri Burgess, who tapped in from inside the six-yard box.

Kyle Lightbourne, the Hood Coach, said: “I felt that we were the far better team in the first half.

“However, we made the game more difficult for ourselves than we needed to by not putting away some of our earlier chances. We took too long to stamp our authority on the game.”