Boulevard 2 X-Roads 0

Boulevard had to absorb a constant bombardment of X-Roads pressure in the second half to come away with a 2-0 win at Bernard’s Park yesterday.

Two first-half goals from Ernest Trott and Dunn-ya Taylor proved critical in securing all three points and provided some breathing room from the bottom teams.

“This was a critical win for us today”, said Boulevard player-coach, Ian Coke. “I commend my players for sustaining the pressure as X-Roads were always hungry and battled right up until the end.”

Boulevard dominated the opening minutes of the game, but it was X-Roads who should have opened the scoring when Paul Simons sent a diagonal cross into the box that sliced off leading scorer Donovan Thompson’s boot and went wide.

Coke set up the opening goal when he got into the area before unleashing a shot on goal that was blocked by the sliding defender Kijuan Wilkinson.

The ball got trapped between his hands leaving referee Lloyd Christopher no choice but to award a penalty. Trott composed himself to place his spot kick down the centre of the diving X-Roads goalkeeper Dashun Cooper.

The home side scored their second when Taylor received a throw in on the angle and hit a tame shot towards goal which Cooper appeared to have covered before being blindsided by a perfect run by two attackers causing him to lose sight of the ball, which sneaked into his far corner.

After the break, X-Roads changed their formation and sent Simons to partner Thompson, which caused immediate havoc.

Thompson slipped a pass to Simons whose one-time volley rattled the crossbar before being cleared to safety.

Boulevard had an opportunity at the other end when Aldonte Smith fed Coke, who chipped over the advancing Cooper but Jamin Furbert was there to head off the line.

X-Roads mounted eight chances at goal during the final 20 minutes, but they were either smothered by goalkeeper Chambers or cleared off the line by his defenders.

X-Roads had three opportunities to score in the final three minutes when two firm headers went straight to goalkeeper Chambers. The third header beat the goalkeeper only to be saved by the feet of a defender on the line before bouncing right into the goalkeeper’s arms.

Goals

Boulevard: E Trott 20, D Taylor 31

TEAMS

Boulevard: D Chambers – Z Stovell (sub: J Crockwell, 73min), J Williams, A Famous, T Butterfield (sub: A Foggo, 73, D Taylor, E Trott, C Darrell, I Coke, K Easton, A Smith. Booked: A Smith.

X-Roads: D Cooper – L Simmons, K Wilkinson, J Furbert, O Williams, Patrick Richardson, Q Darrell (sub: T Lowe, 63), A Burgess (sub: Nassir Richardson, 82), J Sanchez (sub: K Talbot, 88) P Simons, D Thompson. Substitutions not used: A Heyliger, J Minks, R Beek, T Pedro. Booked: O Williams.

Referee: L Christopher.