Cougars pay for penalty miss against Town
Devonshire Cougars 1 Dandy Town 2
Devonshire Cougars were left to rue a penalty miss which enabled Dandy Town to come away with maximum points at Devonshire Recreation Club yesterday.
Jahzarde Samuels had his spot kick saved by Town goalkeeper Treadwell Gibbons midway through the second period with the home side trailing 2-0 after strikes from Oneko Lowe and Angelo Simmons.
Substitute Trey Tucker came off the bench and pulled one back for Cougars in the last minute of regulation time.
Town started on the front foot with Cougars goalkeeper Ajai Daniels saving Lowe’s angled shot at the near post and then extending full length to push Simmons’s effort around the post.
Cougars enjoyed a good spell of possession midway through the half and threatened to take the lead against the run of play.
Elijah Darrell whipped in a low cross, but fellow striker Drewonde Bascome failed to connect with his diving header.
Defender Ernest Rieko Trott went close with a shot from 25 yards that flashed wide of the target while Daniels rushed off his line to block Lowe’s effort.
The visiting side’s relentless pressure finally paid off when Lowe pounced on a loose ball at the back post to put his team ahead. Devarr Boyles’s team picked up where they left off at the start of the second half with Daniels doing well to tip Lowe’s free kick from just outside of the box over the bar.
Cougars went agonisingly close with Town defender Eusebio Blankendal heading Bascome’s inswinging corner off the line, while at the other end Shaki Pearman brought off a fine save from Town goalkeeper Gibbons. Daniels had to rush off his line on two more occasions to foil Simmons and Lowe while Cougars went close again with Darrell striking the post.
Simmons doubled Town’s lead with a diving header at the near post from substitute Dashun Butterfield’s cross.
Cougars were awarded a penalty after Reiko Trott brought Samuels down in the box. However, the home side were unable to capitalise as Gibbons saved Samuels’s penalty kick, diving low to his right.
Simmons was denied a second goal when his shot struck the post before substitute Tucker netted a late consolation goal for the home side.
SCORERS
Devonshire Cougars: Tucker 89
Dandy Town Lowe 35, Simmons 59
TEAMS
Devonshire Cougars (4-4-2): A Daniels — A Samuels, Z Simmons, Z White, E Butterfield-Tankard — L Tota, C Caisey, S Pearman (sub: J Fox, 81mins), J Samuels (sub: T Tucker, 74mins) — D Bascome, E Darrell. Booked: J Samuels. Substitutes not used: R Trott, N Carmichael, N Simmons, R Simmons.
Dandy Town (4-3-3): T Gibbons — E Blankendal, J Bean-Lindo, S Darrell, E Trott — L Emery, J Furbert, A Furbert — C Darrell, O Lowe, A Simmons. Booked: D Butterfield (sub). Substitutes not used: T Lowe, N Smith, O Wilson, J Roser.
Referee: G Swainson.