Somerset Trojans 3 North Village 3

Flanagan’s Onions were relegated from the Premier Division after Somerset Trojans and North Village battled to an exciting draw in wet and windy conditions at Somerset Cricket Club last night.

Mick Ward’s team needed the Rams to do them a favour and beat Trojans to keep their slim survival hopes alive.

Onions’s chances of preserving their top-flight status for at least another day looked promising as the visitors regained the lead late. But they were unable to hold on as Jaz Ratteray-Smith equalised two minutes from the end of regulation to earn the hosts a share of the spoils and seal Onions’s fate.

Trojans played the final minute plus stoppage time a man short as Ratteray-Smith’s sibling, Jadan, was shown straight red for a vicious tackle from behind on Village midfielder Jonathan Briers.

After the final whistle opposing coaches Danvers Seymour Jr and Devarr Boyles were satisfied to come away from a wide open affair which saw both teams squander a plethora of chances and three lead changes with a point.

“I am happy with the point,” Somerset coach Seymour said. “It was a hard-fought match.”

Village’s Boyles added: “I think anybody could have won it. Both teams had opportunities but a draw is a fair result.”

After absorbing some early pressure the visitors took the lead slightly against the run of play through a defensive blunder. Keishen Bean intercepted Leo Burgess’s wayward back-pass to goalkeeper Jade Morrissey and slotted into the empty net.

The goal came after Trojans’s Jaz Ratteray-Smith had a shot saved by Tahj Bell and college student Justin Donawa rolled an angled effort just wide and had another fierce effort outside of the area saved.

The home side were fortunate not to fall further behind as Dahzon Dillas dragged wide from close range and then had another effort turned around the post by Morrissey. Bean also hurried a header wide under pressure from the charging Trojans goalkeeper.

Village kept the pressure on at the start of the second half with Bean having a shot saved after a give-and-go with Keith Jennings. Morrissey was unable to gather cleanly but Che’Kai Caisey blasted the rebound over.

Castle was played through shortly after but fired over from an angle to the left of goal.

These missed chances came back to haunt as Justin Corday, Trojans main spark in midfield, curled in Jadan Ratteray-Smith short pass in the box to draw the teams level.

Trojans went ahead eight minutes later when Jadan Ratteray-Smith dispossessed Demtre Daniels just outside of the Rams’s own box and then took a touch or two before lashing past Bell.

Second half substitute Pierre Smith put Rams back on even terms when he turned in Terryn Fray’s high cross at the back post.

Village then regained the lead when Kyler Knights’s pass found Bean in open space. With Morrissey standing off his line, the Rams striker lobbed the goalkeeper from outside of the box to stun the home crowd.

However, Trojans are made of sterner stuff these days and their never-say-die attitude shone through as Jaz Ratteray-Smith tapped in a short pass across the goalmouth by his brother Jadan to cancel out Rams’s lead moments before the latter saw the red mist.

• Dante Leverock scored his second winner in four days to send Narva Trans to the top of the Estonian Premium Liiga yesterday. The Bermuda defender struck the only goal of his team’s 1-0 victory over Paide Linnameeskond to continue their unbeaten start to the season, after heading home the winner in Narva’s 2-1 triumph away to Tallinna Kalev on Tuesday. The win puts Narva on ten points, with three wins and a draw from their opening four games of the season. They are three points clear of Nomme Kalju and Levadia, although they both have a game in hand.

SCORERS

Somerset Trojans

Corday 53, Jadan Ratteray-Smith 61, Jaz Ratteray-Smith 88

North Village

Bean 16, 78, Smith 69

TEAMS

Somerset (4-3-3): J Morrissey ­— H Butterfield, T Ming, C Durham, L Burgess — M Joell (sub: Z Darrell, 80min), M Jones, J Corday — Jaz Ratteray-Smith, Jadan Ratteray- Smith, J Donawa. Substitutes not used: Y Williams, E Heyliger, D Swan, J Greaves, J Butterfield, D Lister. Sent off: Jadan Ratteray-Smith

North Village (4-5-1): T Bell — D Tankard, T Fray, T Durham, K Knights — J Briers, C Caisey, K Jennings, D Daniels, D Dillas (sub: P Smith, 50) — K Bean. Substitutes not used: J Bell, P Castle.

Referee: A Francis