Lions torn apart in Premier mismatch
Boulevard made mincemeat out of Premier Division new boys Paget Lions at White Hill Field yesterday with skipper Shaki Crockwell leading the onslaught with a hat-trick.
Just a week after winning their first-ever Premier match ? 3-2 over PHC ? newly-promoted Paget were brought back to earth with a bang.
Besides Crockwell?s treble, Angelo Simmons struck twice for the Blazers while Conneko Trott, Melchisedec Gibbons and substitute Raymond Burgess all netted, and an own goal by defender Michael Simons added to the home team?s misery.
Player-coach Marvin Belboda, who came off the substitutes? bench after 37 minutes, converted a penalty for Paget?s lone goal but the veteran was unable to contribute as he had a week earlier in hitting the winner against Zebras.
A large crowd might have expected another quality performance from the Lions, but instead Belboda?s team were ruthlessly torn apart by the rampaging Blazers with Crockwell and Simmons able to unlock their defence with frequent ease.
Such was Boulevard?s dominance, they built a 3-0 lead within 35 minutes on goals by Corneiko Trott after 13 minutes, Simmons after 30 and Crockwell after 35.
Paget centre-backs Leonard Hypolite and Andre Bean had appeared steady during the early exchanges, but some flowing, penetrating moves by the Blazers front line soon put them under pressure.
The game was all but over after 42 minutes when Gibbons netted Boulevard?s fourth from the penalty spot after Kenneth Outerbridge had fouled Crockwell.
Goalkeeper Tarik Smith hardly helped Paget?s cause, handing Blazers their second goal when Simmons? grounder from 24 yards slipped under his body and into the net.
Belboda?s appearance added some spark for Lions up front, but by the time of his introduction, Boulevard?s defence, like their attack, were in full command with Jahmah Samuels and Jamel Warren providing a sound partnership.
A rocket from John Payne was brilliantly tipped over by goalkeeper Smith but three minutes later Lions were finally rewarded for their persistence as Belboda had had his shirt pulled by a defender and stepped up to convert the penalty and make it 4-1.
However, their joy quickly turned to frustration as skipper Outerbridge was given his marching orders for a second booking and from that point it was all one-way traffic.
After 65 minutes Crockwell made it 5-1, Simmons got the sixth after 68 minutes and Crockwell netted his third from the penalty spot after 76 minutes before Ray Burgess made it 8-1 in the 80th minute.
A minute later, when under intense pressure, defender Michael Simons scored through his own goal to complete the avalanche.
Left full back Enwar Hunt, who was frustrated by the dribbling of Simmons all afternoon, skimmed the bar with a vicious 15-yarder at the end for Lions but they rarely came close to adding a second.
Keeper Smith pulled off two good saves late in the game to deny Gibbons and Simmons and prevent Blazers from reaching double digits. T.Smith; K.Tucker, A.Bean, L.Hypolite, E.Hunt; K.Outerbridge, N.Simons, Q.Hunt; T.Wilkinson (A.Smith, 71 mins), T.Brown (M.Simons, 64 mins), K.Durrant (M.Belboda, 37 mins). Subs not used: W.Smith, M.Outerbridge. M.Higgs; J.Matthews, J.Samuels, J.Warren, S.Lewis; J.Payne (D.Taylor (64 mins), C.Trott, C.Simmons (R.Saltus, 72 mins); A.Simmons, M.Gibbons, S.Crockwell (R.Burgess, 76 mins). Subs not used: C.Hayward, I.Core. K.Outerbridge (Paget). E.Hunt (Paget), C.Simmons (Boulevard). S.Crockwell (Boulevard); L.Hypolite (Paget). Ronue Cann.