Somerset Trojans 3 St. George’s Colts 1

Somerset Trojans redeemed themselves from a lacklustre performance in their last outing to register a convincing win over Cup Match rivals St. George’s Colts in this make-up Premier Division match at Somerset Cricket Club last night.

Playing without their coach, Jomar Wilkinson, who was involved in an accident earlier in the day, stand-in skipper Jaz Ratteray-Smith and the coaching staff dedicated this win to him.

“We wish our Coach a speedy recovery as he was involved in a little accident and was unable to make it tonight. He has worked hard with us all season so we dedicate the three points to him,” said Ratteray-Smith.

The match started at a quick pace with St. George’s taking control of the game.

Macai Simmons produced a perfect chip for Jahkari Brangman to lob the advancing Trojans goalkeeper Jade Morrissey but the ball rolled just wide with Morrissey again called into action a few minutes later to punch a Jelani Carlington drive to safety.

The tide started to change as the half wore on with the Trojans attack, led by St. George’s Cup Match star, Allan Douglas, Jahkari Furbert and Tevahn Tyrell making forceful runs at the St. George’s defence.

Furbert was put through by Douglas only for his goal-bound shot to be blocked by a defender. He brought the best out of Freddy Hall with a curling left footed free-kick, which was pushed around the near post.

The relentless pressure eventually paid off when another Furbert inswinging free-kick deflected off the head of defender Cavun Ottley and into the net, wrong-footing Hall in the process to open the scoring as the Trojans took a deserved lead into the half.

St. George’s should have equalised right from the restart but Brangman’s volley was saved by a diving Morrissey with Tre McCallan slicing the rebound wide. McCallan was denied minutes later when Morrissey saved his sneaky flick at the near post.

This miss would haunt St. George’s as the Trojans doubled their lead with a good build up involving Ratteray-Smith and Furbert, whose cross at the back post was met with a thunderous header from Tyrell, giving Hall no chance.

St. George’s never gave in and would pull one back through Brangman who blocked a Donte Brangman attempted clearance with the ball ricocheting over goalkeeper Morrissey’s head and into the net.

Substitute Nathan Rego would put the Trojans’ fans at ease when he capitalised on a misunderstanding between goalkeeper Hall and center back Nzari Paynter, to stick a boot out and direct the ball into the net.

SCORERS

Somerset Trojans: C Ottley 40 (OG), T Tyrell 59, N Rego 80

St. George’s Colts: J Brangman 60

TEAMS

Somerset Trojans (4-1-4-1): J Morrissey 8 ‒ Jaden Ratteray-Smith 6, Jaz Ratteray-Smith 7, C Durham 7, K Sharrieff Hayward 6 ‒ D Brangman ‒ J Corday 6, J Butterfield 5 (sub: L Burgess 63min, 5), T Tyrell 7 (sub: D Ming 80), J Furbert 7 ‒ A Douglas 7 (sub: N Rego 73). Substitutes not used: D Swan, Q Watson, N Durham, R Symonds.

St. Geroge’s Colts (4-1-3-2): F Hall 7 ‒ N Paynter 6, T Burgess 6 (sub: S Blair-Paynter 75), P Anderson 6, A Francis 6 ‒ C Ottley 6 (sub: J Darrell 67, 5) ‒ M Simmons 6, J Burgess 6, J Carlington 6 ‒ T McCallan 5, J Brangman 6 (sub: K Ottley 80). Substitutes not used: C King. Booked: P Anderson, T McCallan, N Paynter.

Referee: M Wyer