Somerset Trojans 1 Dandy Town 3

Dandy Town pulled off a brilliant away victory over Somerset Trojans today at Somerset Cricket Club to continue their perfect start to the Premier Division season.

Goals from Angelo Simmons, Cecoy Robinson and Jahtino Richardson-Martin were enough to take Town into second place past champions North Village on goal difference.

Second-half substitute Nacori Smith responded for Somerset, who remain in fifth place.

The visiting side dominated the early exchanges, with Robinson missing just wide inside the first five minutes from a defensive mistake.

Trojans woke up from that chance and passed the ball around well in midfield thereafter. However, Town still looked more threatening, and opened the scoring when Simmons lashed a strike into the top corner after a lovely team move midway through the half.

Robinson doubled their lead moments later, smashing into the top corner.

Somerset failed to bypass the Town press, with the visitors stealing the ball in midfield on numerous occasions in the opening stanza. Town went into the break with some comfort, but not totally home and dry.

The home side hit the crossbar right from the restart, and then halved the deficit on 52 minutes. A corner was whipped in by Jeze Butterfield and Smith, who was not long on for Khiari Sharrieff-Hayward, capitalised on poor defending, heading past Jaiden Manders after a goalmouth scramble.

Town made their first substitute in reaction, replacing Nyhrobi Carmichael and Oneko Lowe with Jahkari Furbert and Terrance Webb respectively just before the hour.

Richardson-Martin nearly restored the two-goal cushion, but his shot was beautifully saved by Trojans goalkeeper Dequan Crockwell.

Trojans made their second change, Jaz Ratteray-Smith coming in for Coolidge Durham in midfield. But it was Town who delivered the next telling blow with about ten minutes left, midfielder Richardson-Martin finishing off a beautiful team move with a shot that squeezed past Crockwell to secure victory.

Town head coach Kwame Steede was pleased with the win. “It was a good win, hard-fought,” he said. “We played well. It wasn’t an easy game.”

But the former Town and Devonshire Cougars midfielder knows there is room for improvement. “We still have things to work on,” he said. “Yet this was a good team performance.”

SCORERS

Somerset Trojans: Smith 51

Dandy Town: Simmons 25, Robinson 27, Richardson-Martin 80

TEAMS

Somerset Trojans (4-3-3): D Crockwell — S Brangman, T Ming, J Bean, M Turner — Jaden Ratteray-Smith, C Durham (sub: Jaz Ratteray-Smith, 68min), S Tatem — J Butterfield, M Henschke, K Sharrieff-Hayward (sub: N Smith, 46). Substitutes not used: D Swan, R Seaman, M Robinson, A Albouy-Lovell.

Dandy Town (4-4-2): J Manders — E Blankendal, J Bean-Lindo, E Trott, N Carmichael (sub: T Webb, 59) — O Lowe, J Richardson-Martin, J Chapman, E Trott (sub: J Furbert, 59) — C Robinson (sub: D Butterfield, 86), A Simmons. Substitutes not used: J Roser, D Blankendal, L Emery, M Mello-Cann.

Referee: M Wyer.