Dandy Town 3 St George’s 0

Dandy Town kept alive their hopes of a rare Triple Crown — league, FA Cup and Friendship Trophy — after this comfortable win over St George’s took them into the semi-finals of the Friendship last night at Goose Gosling Field.

The match started almost a half-hour late after the opening Shield match went into extra time but Town were quick to get on the scoresheet when Tomiko Goater scored in the fifth minute, toe-poking the ball past the exposed goalkeeper Freddy Hall after the full back Kenton Ottley failed to clear the danger.

St George’s made three changes in their defence with Philip Anderson and Nzari Paynter returning to the heart of the defence while Ottley came in at right back. Two of the team’s most experienced players — Tyrell Burgess and Jahron Dickinson — were missing, Dickinson suspended after being booked on Sunday and Burgess out with a fractured bone in his foot which has ended his season.

The East Enders went close to equalising in the sixteenth minute when a ball into the Town penalty area saw striker Sage Blair-Paynter first to the ball, but his lob over goalkeeper Julian Rosser dropped just over the bar.

Town went close to making it 2-0 when teenager Dante Scraders saw his left-footed shot from 25 yards graze the crossbar after a bad clearance by the St George’s defence.

Chances kept coming as Town kept on the pressure and they were rewarded with a second goal when Jomei Bean-Lindo’s shot from a free kick was blocked by the diving Hall before Nizigh Spence followed up to score with the rebound.

St George’s kept battling but their clear-cut chances were few, before a headed own goal by Anderson from an attempted clearance late in the half put them three goals down at the half.

They could not find a way through as they battled for an early response in the second half, even making a double, then a triple substitution in the dying minutes in the hopes of at least getting a consolation goal.

Town will be involved in another cup-tie on Sunday when they meet the winners of tonight’s FA Cup first-round tie between Somerset and Hamilton Parish.

nIn the opening Shield quarter-final, Boulevard needed extra time to beat Paget 2-0. Despite creating the better chances, Boulevard were frustrated by their opponents for 90 minutes and then the first period of extra time.

Boulevard had three good chances to wrap up the game late in the second half but Sergio Woolridge first shot over the top from inside the six yard box at the far post after a good move saw Tyree Robinson set him up perfectly with his cross.

Four minutes later captain Ian Coke did the same, shooting over the top from eight yards. Then Woolridge put another effort against the base of the upright as Boulevard struggled to find the net.

The goals finally came in the third and twelfth minutes of the second period of extra time, Takeyhi Walker firing a shot from 25 yards into the bottom corner to break the deadlock and ease Boulevard’s nerves.

Substitute Kenyade McQueen was fouled in the box by Joshua McLean three minutes from the end, before taking the penalty himself and scoring for the Blazers.

SCORERS:

Dandy Town: Goater 5, Spence 28, Anderson (og) 37

Dandy Town (4-3-3): J Rosser 6 – E Blankendal 7, M Isaac 6, T Manders 6, J Bean-Lindo 7 – N Spence 6 (sub: J Johnson 74min), A Furbert 6, E Swan 6 (sub: M Parsons, 83) – C Robinson 6 (sub: S Darrell, 83), T Goater 7, D Scraders 6 (sub: J Samuels 60, 6). Substitutes not used: J Manders, T Webb, K Davis. Booked: Samuels.

St George’s (4-4-2): F Hall 6 – K Ottley 6, P Anderson 6, N Paynter 6, J Darrell 6 – D Signor 6 (sub: E Signor, 84), J Burgess 6, T McCallan 6 (sub: A Smith, 84), L Dill 5 (sub: D Lodge, 84) – J Brangman 5 (sub: M Simmons, 68, 5), S Blair-Paynter 5 (sub: C Burns, 68, 5). Substitutes not used: C King, J Wales. Booked: Ottley.

Referee: D Jackson