St George’s Colts 1 Paget Lions 1

Jonté Smith kept his composure to slot home an 87th-minute penalty to rescue a point this afternoon against Paget Lions, who were ahead from an early second-half strike from fellow cricketer Delray Rawlins.

The deadlock at Wellington Oval did neither side any favours, with Paget moving level on 13 points with Hamilton Parish but remaining fifth on goal difference, while St George’s joined Dandy Town and Young Men’s Social Club on nine points but stay eighth just outside the drop zone.

St George’s coach Jarreau Hayward was not totally pleased with his team’s performance but was satisfied with the point.

“The point is good but we should have had all three today,” the coach said. “We need to be a bit better in both boxes where we have to stop goals from being scored and also score our chances. All in all, it’s a positive step and the one point is important.”

Paget sounded a warning early in the match as Rawlins, in his first match back from an overseas cricket assignment, held off his marker on the end of a through-ball to get a shot off that beat goalkeeper Zeko Burgess but crashed against the upright before being cleared.

Rawlins appeared to have a target on his back, as he was the victim of some heavy challenges — the Paget front man requiring treatment twice inside the first 15 minutes.

St George’s started to come into their game with the Hall brothers, Blaiz and Kashe, combining well for the latter to get off a low shot from an angle that Paget goalkeeper Omari DeShields did well to cradle into his chest.

As the half closed, DeShields made a spectacular diving save as he pushed Blaiz Hall’s thunderbolt shot away from his net. St. George’s were lacking that final penetrating ball, while Paget’s Kamali Davis was guilty of holding on to the ball too long from promising situations, which allowed the opposition defence to retreat and cover as the teams went into the break goalless.

Paget came out roaring in the second half, which paid immediate dividends as Tristen Davis outmuscled Jarreau Daniels to get a cross that found Rawlins, who drilled a low and hard shot that Burgess, his international cricket team-mate, got his hands to but could not keep it out of the net.

St George’s raised their intensity in search of an equaliser and found joy penetrating down Paget’s right side, putting substitute defender Kyjah Simons under constant pressure. This persistence paid off as Blaiz Hall snaked his way past Simons and another defender to get into the box before he was brought down by DeShields in the Paget goal.

DeShields’s lack of judgment was compounded when he dived the wrong way as Smith gave the home side a share of the spoils from the spot.

SCORERS

St George’s: Smith 87 pen

Paget: Rawlins 48

TEAMS

St George’s Colts (4-1-4-1): Z Burgess 6 — M Paynter 6, N Paynter 6, P Anderson 6, D Zuill 6 (sub: R Phipps, 85) — D Bascome 6 — B Hall 7, K Hall 6, O Bascome 5, J Daniels 5 (sub: C Burns, 76) — J Smith 7. Substitutes not used: E Signor, R King. Booked: Zuill, O Bascome, D Bascome.

Paget Lions (4-2-3-1): O DeShields 6 — S Smith 6, R DeShields 6, J Carpenter 6, K Durrant 5 (sub: K Simons, 46 5) — D Joell 5 (sub: B Furbert, 46 5), P Castle 6 (sub: S Lambert, 87) — K Davis 6 (sub: O Tucker, 82), D Hart 6, T Davis 6 (sub: K Hypolite, 67 5)— D Rawlins 7. Substitutes not used: A Russell. Booked: Rawlins, R DeShields.

Referee: A Majors.