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Boulevard still searching for first point

Two goals: Donavan Thompson

Boulevard 0 X-Roads 2

A clinical Donavan Thompson brace earned X-Roads all of the spoils in an evenly fought contest at Goose Gosling Field yesterday.

The striker broke the deadlock early in the first half from a set piece and then slotted in a second late in the second half to make the points safe.

“Donavan is a finisher,” Larry Smith, the X-Roads coach, said. “Give the ball to Donavan and he will get you a goal.

“All in all, I’m pleased with our performance, but Boulevard were tougher than I thought actually. They were very competitive, but we competed.

“I wanted the guys to get off to a good start. We are always coming from behind and I wanted our game to be out front and let them chase us and they chased and chased extremely well. But we stuck to our game plan and at the end of the day we got the three points.”

The result prolonged Boulevard’s poor start to the season in which they have yet to achieve a win or score.

“We have to get more consistent in the final third and our link-up play has to be better as well,” Ian Coke, the Boulevard captain, said.

Play was scrappy at times, owing much to the wet conditions, while referee Lloyd Christopher was kept busy as he dished out seven yellow cards, six of which were shown to Boulevard players.

Boulevard crafted the first chance of the match. Livewire winger Aldonte Smith ran onto a pass, but was unable to keep his angled effort on target.

The close call jolted X-Roads who responded with Thompson bringing off a fingertip save from Jahhi Shakir, the Boulevard goalkeeper.

The visiting side gradually took charge of the middle of the park and took a deserved lead during a dominant spell.

Shakir parried Tyrell Burgess’s free kick from outside of the box and Thompson lashed in the loose rebound from point-blank range.

X-Roads were forced to make an unscheduled substitution at the start of the second half with Tyquann Perinchief replacing the injured Mauriq Hill.

Boulevard changed their shape and started to create openings in the attacking third. Defender Jahleel Crockwell blasted Aldonte Smith’s pass over the bar, Coke brought off a diving save from X-Roads goalkeeper Dashun Cooper, while substitute Khiry Easton headed Takeyhi Walker’s corner over.

At this stage a Boulevard goal seemed imminent given the grip they had on the match.

However, all of their hard work came undone when Thompson pounced against the run of play to put the match beyond the home team’s reach late on.

The towering striker dispossessed defender Antione Famous and rounded the advancing Shakir before rolling the ball into the net. The result vaulted X-Roads two places from seventh to fifth while Boulevard remain anchored at the bottom of the table.

SCORERS

Thompson 15, 87

TEAMS

Boulevard (4-3-3): J Shakir — J Crockwell, A Famous, J Williams, T Butterfield (sub: G Darrell, 78min) — N Smith, D Taylor (sub: E Zuill, 60), J Simons — A Smith (sub: K Easton, 64), T Walker, I Coke. Booked: A Smith, Famous, Crockwell, Simons, Easton, E Zuill. Substitutes not used: Z Stovell, N Augustus.

X-Roads (4-4-2): D Cooper — C McDowell, J Burgess, J Furbert, A Cannonier — M Hill (sub: T Perinchief, 46), P Simmons, T Daniels (sub: A Burgess, 63),P Richardson — T Burgess, D Thompson. Booked: J Burgess. Substitutes not used: C Hayward, V Capitillo, D Woolridge, J Lottimore

Referee: