Dandy Town 2

Devonshire Cougars 2 (aet)

(Town won by penalties)

Dandy Town skipper Brandon Minors praised his side’s team effort as they ended Devonshire Cougars’ quest for five successive title triumphs at the National Sports Centre (NSC) today.

Despite having been one man down for the last 20 minutes after Daeshun Butterfield was given his marching orders, Town held on.

The Hornets went ahead with goals from Angelo Simmons and Damon Ming but Cougars replied with two goals from Kwame Steede, sending the game to penalties.

Steede missed the second spot-kick for Cougars, keeper Treadwell Gibbons getting a boot to the shot to stop it from going in.

Town then converted the remaining kicks to claim the title.

Reiko Trott stepped up and slotted his effort past Johnson so seal the win, and send the club’s fans into joyful celebration.

“All I can really say is well done to the team, we worked hard as a team, both with 11 men and ten, so this was the definition of team work,” said Minors.

“Words can’t explain this right now because we are all spent but I would like to praise Cougars for their work in getting here, and also to the fans who came out and rooted both sides today.”

Ming got the opening goal of the game in the fourth minute after nifty work down the right flank from Angelo Simmons found him in a dangerous position just outside the area.

Still with work to do, Ming curled his shot past keeper Daniel Johnson.

Cougars defender Jesse Seymour had a chance to get his side back into the match immediately but his header from a Domico Coddington corner went flashed just wide from eight yards.

Simmons doubled Town’s lead in the 28th minute after he was found out by a searching ball from Reiko Trott who gave the pacy striker the simple task of sliding past Johnson from close range.

Cougars got back in the match just before half-time when Steede netted in the 40th minute.

In the second half, Cougars were their own worst enemies in front of goal, with Drewonde Bascome and Steede both missing chances and making bad decisions in the attacking third.

Butterfield, who had been on the field for only ten minutes as a substitute, was sent off in the 73rd for a second bookable offence and the momentum of the match swung a final time just before the referee’s final whistle.

Coddington was brought down in the area in the 82nd minute, leaving Steede to calmly step up and put his spot kick past an outstretched Gibbons.

With players cramping up numerous times throughout the extra-time and no further goals, the match was then decided with penalties.

“This could be a stepping stone for the club going forward, not just with the result, but knowing what each person is capable of and knowing who can be relied upon.

“When you go to battle in sports, it’s always about the team not the individual and today the focus on hard work and dedication to each other certainly paid off.”

Dandy Town: T Gibbons, J Stowe, B Minors, K Wade, A Lowe (F Frankson, 54), J Swan, R Trott, A Simmons(S Furbert, 75), D Ming, T Goater (D Butterfield, 63), T Webb

Subs not used: D Williams, S Tuzo, C Maybury, S Darrell

Goals: D Ming, 3, A Simmons, 28

Yellow: J Swan

Red: D Butterfield

Devonshire Cougars: D Johnson, D Cox (Z White, 46), K Franks, M Steede, Z Iris, C Caisey, D Coddington, J Seymour (K Tucker, 30), D Bascome, P Parsons (D Daniels, 77), K Steede

Subs not used: K Trott, M Steede, M Battersbee, D Daniels, K Desilva

Goals: K Steede, 40,82

Yellow: K Franks, M Steede

Referee: E Holmes

Man of the Match: T Gibbons

Somerset Eagles 2

St George’s Colts 3

St George’s advanced to the FA Cup proper with a win over Somerset Eagles at White Hill Field on Sunday.

Ernest Signor gave St George’s the lead in the 39th minute from the penalty spot before Macai Simmons doubled the lead five minutes after the break.

Jarazinho Bassett made it 3-0 three minutes later.

Eagles then staged a late comeback. Anwar Telford scored in the 60th minute followed by Matteo Frazzoni’s goal 12 minutes before time. But in the end it was too little too late for the hosts.