Somerset Trojans 0 Dandy Town Hornets 2

Somerset Trojans’ early season woes continued after slumping to their second straight league defeat against Premier Division rivals Dandy Town Hornets at Somerset Cricket Club today.

The visitors prevailed on goals either side of half-time from Ernest Trott and an Angelo Simmons penalty to leave Trojans winless and goalless in five league and cup outings this term.

Town were the better team, but Trojans did show flashes of brilliance and came close to opening their account with Justin Corday and Jeze Butterfield both striking the woodwork.

However, it is goals that win games and Town packed a more powerful punch than the home side, who are in the midst of one of the longest scoring droughts in club history.

“We need goals,” Danvers Seymour, the Trojans coach, said. “We have been taking positives out of all the games, but at the end of the day we need results.”

Town’s first victory of the season was not without controversy, as Trott’s opener was hugely disputed by Trojans, who felt the player was offside.

“We have to accept the good decisions and the bad decisions of the officials but they need to do better also,” Seymour said. “I am not blaming them because players play the game. But the same way the players are accountable the referee has to be accountable also.”

Kwame Steede, the Town player-coach, had mixed feelings about his team’s performance.

“I am pleased with the clean sheet but not pleased with how we defended,” he said. “We still gave Somerset chances when we were in control of the game and when we are in control of the game we can’t be giving up easy chances. A team more clinical around the net probably would have punished us so going forward we have to clean up our defending.

“We also missed a lot of chances and we have to execute more. But it is good to get off the mark.”

Both teams created chances during the early exchanges.

Simmons went close for Town with a free kick that Trojans goalkeeper Jade Morrissey fumbled but recovered just in time to prevent the loose ball from crossing the goalline, while Oneko Lowe had a shot saved after being played through by Steede.

Trojans defended for long spells, but were a constant threat on the counterattack.

Corday went close to breaking the deadlock with a crisp drive from outside the area that rattled the bar while Town goalkeeper Troy Hall rushed off his line to deny Jadan Ratteray-Smith.

Town gradually seized control and finally broke their opponents down through Trott’s controversial goal.

Morrissey parried Steede’s header from Damon Ming’s cross in the path of Trott, who made no mistake from close range.

The goal was allowed to stand even though Steede and Trott appeared to be standing in an offside position.

Lowe nearly doubled Town’s advantage early in the second half with a lob that rolled inches past the post, before Trojans centre back Coolidge Durham almost levelled with a header from Corday’s corner that was saved by Hall.

After regaining control, Town pulled further away when Simmons converted from the penalty spot after Trojans left back Jaz Ratteray-Smith bundled over Trott in the area.

Trojans enjoyed a good spell in the closing stages and had chances, one of which saw Butterfield strike the bar, but were unable to capitalise on some poor defending.

SCORERS

Dandy Town Hornets

Trott 34, Simmons 61 (pen)

Somerset Trojans: J Morrissey - Jadan Ratteray-Smith, C Durham, T Ming, R Quinn - M Joell, T Bean (sub: J Seymour, 81), J Butterfield, Jaz Ratteray-Smith, J Corday - M Jones (sub: Z Darrell, 69). Substitutes not used: Y Williams, V Perinchief, A Charles, R Simmons, K Wilson

Dandy Town Hornets: T Hall - E Blankendal, K Lathan, G Dyer, D Ming - L Tucker, K Steede, E Trott - D Butterfield (sub: D Walker, 81), O Lowe (sub: D Russell, 69), A Simmons. Substitutes not used: J Amory, S Campbell, J Manders, E Lowe-Anderson, G Butterfield

Referee: L Raynor