Boulevard 1 Flanagan’s Onions 3

Treshun Smith notched a brace and had a hand in his team’s other as Flanagan’s Onions secured three precious points away to Boulevard at Police Field to climb out of the relegation zone.

Smith put Flanagan’s ahead early in the second half but Boulevard striker Ian Coke equalised from the penalty spot.

Smith buried his own rebound to restore the visiting side’s lead before his strike partner Keston Lewis capitalised on a counter-attack to make the points safe.

Flanagan’s third league win of the season left them one point clear of relegation with two matches remaining away to Dandy Town and at home to bottom side Devonshire Colts.

Very little separated the two sides in a match played in frigid and blustery conditions. In the end Flanagan’s clinical finishing proved to be the difference.

The visiting side made the most of their limited chances and got their tactics spot on after tweaking their shape up front early in the second half.

Mick Ward, the Flanagan’s coach, dropped striker Lewis back into midfield and the Trinidadian’s physical presence, excellent vision and ball distribution gave them more thrust with the game hanging in the balance.

Smith, who was a constant threat with his blistering pace, broke the deadlock when he beat Boulevard goalkeeper Daniel Adams in a foot race to Lewis’s long pass from midfield and slotted into an empty net.

Coke broke free in the 68th minute but watched in agony as his effort struck the bottom of the far post and was cleared away. Boulevard also forced three consecutive corners during a period of sustained pressure.

The goal Boulevard desperately sought finally arrived when they were awarded a penalty after central defender Greg Muir tripped Takeyhi Walker in the box.

Coke made no mistake from the spot, sending Stephen Gould the wrong way to bring the teams level.

With their tails now up, and the wind at their back, Boulevard pressed on for the winner.

However, after absorbing some pressure Flanagan’s pulled away.

They regained the lead when Smith followed up on his own rebound that Adams parried into his path and drove in at the back post.

Lewis then killed the game off when he scored from close range to finish off another quick break involving two-goal hero Smith that caught Boulevard off guard.

Boulevard had no one else to blame but themselves for their seventh league loss of the campaign as they squandered three great chances in the first half.

Forward Dunn-Ya Taylor hesitated too long to pull the trigger in the box and had his effort blocked while Gould saved Coke’s angled shot from point-blank range.

Coke also shot tamely into Gould’s arms after Taylor’s pass behind the defence left him with only the goalkeeper to beat.

TEAMS

Boulevard (4-4-2): D Adams — K Williams, K Smith, I Mallory (sub: M Tankard, 63), J Crockwell — N Smith, Z Stovell, J Symonds, D Taylor (sub: A Famous, 90) — T Walker, I Coke. Booked: Crockwell. Substitutes not used: T Butterfield, S Fostin, E Trott

Flanagan’s: (4-4-2): S Gould — M Laws, G Muir, C Berkeley, S Butler — P Robey, M Lindsey-Bailey, P Smith, J Cook — T Smith, K Lewis. Booked: Butler. Substitutes not used: D Thompson, M Ward, C Burns.