X-Roads 4 North Village 2

X-Roads put in another solid performance at Garrison Field yesterday with their fourth successive victory in an impressive debut Premier Division season.

Coach Farid El Karfa was delighted with the victory and his team’s overall form.

“The team is increasing in confidence with every positive result, and as a result, we have developed some momentum recently,” he said.

“The key for us at this stage of the season is to focus on one game at a time, and approach every match as one that is important.”

The home team got off to a great start, scoring in the first minute. Pierre Smith, standing in goal for the injured Tahj Bell, misjudged the bounce of a long ball, allowing Paul Simons to finish into an empty net.

Village settled into the match and started to create some chances of their own, eventually finding an equaliser through Keishen Bean.

The talisman shrugged off his marker to get onto a long ball, and then calmly lobbed the advancing keeper from the edge of the box.

The score would only stay tied momentarily, however, as three minutes later, the home team were awarded a penalty for a push in the box.

Kashi Davis-Jones stepped up, planting his spot-kick to the keeper’s right to put his team ahead again.

However, Village were able to respond just before the half to go into the interval on level terms. Bean would double his tally rising high at the back post to put home a strong header from a Kyler Knights cross.

The second half started much like the first, with-X Roads scoring a goal within three minutes of the restart.

A long throw into the penalty area was knocked down nicely for Kahmori Brangman, who set himself with a good first touch allowing any easy finish from close range.

Moments later, they almost went further ahead when Riko Beek went over the bar from eight yards after beating his man at the back post.

With Village chasing the game, X-Roads were finding more openings and would eventually get their fourth goal on the hour mark. A move down the left flank was finished well by Simons, burying his shot from ten yards in the far corner of the goal for his second.

Village applied pressure in an effort to get themselves back in it, but goalkeeper Dashaun Cooper made a couple of key saves late on. He went down bravely to the feet of Jonathon Briers to smother his effort from close range, and then made a fingertip save to push a Bean header off the post.

The loss is the second in as many games for Village, who were knocked out of the FA Cup last week, and could prove to be a huge blow to their league title hopes.

SCORERS

X-Roads

Simons 1, 58, Davis-Jones 35, Brangman 48

North Village

Bean 32, 40

TEAMS

X-Roads: D Cooper, J Furbert, K Wilkinson, A Burgess, O Williams (sub: M McGowan, 72min), T Daniels, P Simons, K Davis-Jones (sub: J Sanchez, 89), J Swan, K Brangman, R Beek (sub: D Baker, 65). Substitutes not used: T Lowe, K Talbot, T Lowe, T Daniels.

North Village: P Smith, D Tankard, K Jennings, K Knights, J Briers, D Daniels, L Dill, M Thomas (sub: P Castle, 60), K Bean, A Johnston, C Casey (sub: J DeShields, 60).

Referee: M Wyer