Devonshire Colts 3

North Village 3

Devonshire Colts and North Village shared the points in a sometimes ill-tempered match that produced six goals at Police Field as Colts extended their unbeaten start to the season.

Emotions spilled over after the final whistle when Richard Todd, the Village coach, questioned why only five minutes of stoppage time was played by referee Anthony Bailey.

It quickly brought a response by Colts, as an exchange of words ensued and players and officials from both teams got involved before calm was restored. Village, who equalised in the 82nd minute through substitute Keishon Smith, were in the ascendancy in the closing minutes after Quinton Jones of Colts was sent off in the 86th minute for tripping a Village player as the players lined up for a free kick.

It was his second booking of the match, leaving his team to play the last few minutes plus five minutes of injury time with ten men.

“We knew today there was probably going to be more people at the match to find out what Colts are really about so I was trying to keep the boys focused to battle,” said Ray Jones, the Colts coach.

“Back in the day Colts and Village games were good, entertaining matches and today the boys demonstrated that they were up for it, so I was proud of the effort. They were a little down that they didn’t get all the points.

“We went up 3-2 and weren’t able to hold on, but we’re still undefeated and still collecting points and that’s our aim, to collect points.”

Colts had the worst possible start when Village took the lead after only three minutes. A half clearance enabled Shayne Hollis to create the opening for striker Keston Lewis who turned and planted his effort past Gregory Rose, the home side’s goalkeeper, from 18 yards. Village joy was short-lived, however, with Colts equalising in the seventh minute when Eli Smith placed a header past goalkeeper Pierre Smith from close range.

Smith then took advantage of some slack defending by Village to score a second goal in the 22nd minute to put Colts in front for the first time.

The 20-year-old played a one-two with striker Kyle Jones and followed up to volley into the far corner.

Smith and Jones combined again to open the Village defence, this time Smith’s back-heel sending Jones into the box before goalkeeper Smith made an important block to foil the effort.

Colts should have been leading comfortably at the break after a good opportunity in injury time when a ball into the box allowed Jones to hook it across goal to the back post where Smith failed to connect properly.

The home team continued to threaten after the restart as captain Lozendro Symonds drove wide from a free kick on the edge of the box. Village almost levelled two minutes later when Hollis crossed to the far post where Keston Lewis put his back-post header wide.

Chances were coming at both ends as a Symonds shot hit the far post before Hollis converted for Village from the penalty spot in the 61st minute after a handball inside the Colts box.

Keishen Smith was warming up for Village at that point and his introduction a minute later gave Village an immediate lift.

The momentum started to shift to Village after the goal as Jahron Dickinson’s cross from the left just missed the far post. Against the run of play Colts scored again in the 78th minute to make it 3-2, Symonds making it four goals in four games when he converted a cross from the right by Smith.

However, Bean, the Village captain, made certain of a share of the points eight minutes from time when he drove a shot into the bottom corner.

“Looking at the balance of the game I would say that a share of the spoils is a good reflection of the game,” Jones said.

Somerset Trojans felt the backlash of Southampton Rangers’ heavy 6-1 loss to Robin Hood last weekend, when they were beaten 2-1 by Rangers at home. In yesterday’s other Premier Division match, PHC and Boulevard drew 1-1 at PHC Field.