Robin Hood 3 Boulevard 0

Robin Hood closed out the first half of the 2016-17 Premier Division season with this impressive shutout victory over Boulevard at Goose Gosling Field last night.

Antwan Russell opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Takeyhi Walker handled in the area.

Donte Brangman then doubled Hood’s advantage after the break from a Russell set-piece before Shakir Smith made the points safe after pouncing on a defensive mix-up.

The victory, Hood’s sixth of the campaign, allowed them to move ahead of North Village into second place on goal difference.

Boulevard slipped from fifth to sixth, level on points with Somerset Trojans.

The scoreline flattered to deceive as Boulevard pushed the home side all the way, but lacked cutting edge in the attacking third up against a stubborn Hood defence that refused to buckle.

An Ian Coke volley that rattled the woodwork perhaps best summed up the visiting side’s frustration.

Both teams started the match at high tempo with a fluent passing game that exploited the width on offer, but failed to carve out clear-cut chances.

Hood made the breakthrough when Walker handled Lejaun Simmons’s cross in the box and Russell made no mistake with his spot-kick, which he smashed into the bottom left corner past Daniel Adams, the Boulevard goalkeeper, with authority.

The visiting side suffered another setback a minute later when they were forced to make an unscheduled substitute after Jerome Bailey, the centre back, went off with a leg injury.

Boulevard enjoyed their share of possession but could not break down Hood’s back four, their best chance of the opening stanza falling to Maquel Tankard, the full back, who curled an effort just wide of Jason Simons’s far post right on the stroke of half-time.

Boulevard got the second half off to a promising start, Taiquan Davis, the winger, spinning away from his marker before rolling his effort inches wide of the far post from a tight angle.

At this stage, Boulevard held a slight edge with an equaliser seemingly imminent.

But they were dealt another crushing blow when Brangman put Hood farther out front against the run of play. Russell curled a free kick around the wall, which Adams parried into the path of Brangman, who tapped in from close range.

Boulevard regrouped and were unlucky not to pull one back when Walker’s cross just eluded the outstretched boot of Davis in the goalmouth.

It proved to be the winger’s final act as Boulevard brought on their remaining substitutes in a last roll of the dice to salvage something from the match.

But once again Hood took their opportunity when it presented itself.

A defensive mix-up allowed Smith to intercept the ball and slot it under the advancing Adams at the near post.

Boulevard had further good looks at goal, but were unable to hit the target.

Substitute Jason Symonds shot tamely into Simons’s arms from the edge of the 18-yard box, Nico Smith headed Ernest Trott’s cross over before Coke crashed Jahleel Crockwell’s pass against the bar.

SCORERS

Robin Hood

Russell 38 (pen)

Brangman 66

Smith 74

TEAMS

Robin Hood (4-3-3): J Simons — K Elkinson, D Cox, N Peskett, D Taylor — Z Burgess, D Brangman, C Caisey — S Smith, L Simmons, A Russell (sub: E Outerbridge, 81min). Substitutes not used: C Foster, J Pereira, C Ryan, R Wray.

Boulevard (4-3-3): D Adams — M Tankard, I Mallory, J Bailey (sub: J Williams, 39), J Crockwell — J Samuels (sub: A Famous, 69), N Smith, E Trott — T Walker, T Davis (sub: J Symonds, 69), I Coke. Substitutes not used: N Anglin, T Butterfield, Z Stovell. Booked: Samuels, Walker,

Referee: A Bailey.