Devonshire Cougars 7 Somerset Eagles 0

Devonshire Cougars romped to an emphatic victory over struggling Somerset Eagles to advance to the Friendship Trophy quarter-finals at Devonshire Recreation Club last night.

Elisha Darrell led the charge with a hat-trick, Chekai Caisey added a brace, while Lejuan Simmons and substitute Drewonde Bascome chipped in with one goal each.

The Eagles’ woes were further compounded by the late sending off of defender Shentione Lambert, while Anwar Telford squandered a first half penalty.

Cougars were by far the better team both technically and tactically and dominated throughout in what proved to be another lopsided contest between the two Premier Division rivals.

“I thought it was a dominant performance,” Kwame Steede, the Cougars coach, told The Royal Gazette. “We didn’t take them lightly and we came and stuck to the game plan. It was proper execution tonight.”

Steede also hailed Darrell’s superbly taken hat-trick that all but put Eagles out of their misery.

“Elisha has been working hard on his game and he delivered tonight from off his hard work,” he added. “He did some things tonight that he has been working on and was deserving of the hat- trick.”

Darrell made the initial breakthrough when he beat Eagles goalkeeper Joshua Roberts with a low drive at the near post, after his intended pass to a team-mate struck a defender and rebounded invitingly into his path.

Caisey went close to doubling the home side’s advantage when his fierce drive in the box pinged the crossbar and was cleared away.

Eagles were awarded a penalty when Telford was floored in the box on a quick break against the run of play. However, the midfielder’s spot-kick was brilliantly saved by Cougars goalkeeper Ricardo Brangman diving to his right.

Darrell eventually doubled Cougars’ lead when he poked in Daren Williams’s throw-in at the near post after the Eagles defence switched off.

The wiry forward then broke away down the right side, but lost control of the ball with only Roberts to beat, while at the other end, Brangman saved Eagles forward Shakir Smith’s low free kick, to preserve his team’s two goal cushion at the break.

Darrell complete his hat-trick early in the second half when converted right back, Ari Cannonier’s short pass in the box, to virtually end the game as a contest.

Simmons made it 4-0 when he controlled substitute Juma Mouchette’s corner and beat Roberts with a low drive from the top of box. Simmons then went from goal scorer to provider when he laid off a pass, which substitute Bascome smashed into the roof of the net from close range.

Caisey, who was a thorn in the Eagles’ side all night with his wizardry on the ball, then took over.

The forward finally opened his account after squandering a few chances, when he side-footed Domico Coddington’s cross in the box past Roberts.

Eagles were reduced to ten-men two minutes from the end of regulation time, when Lambert picked up a second booking for fouling Caisey on the edge of the area.

Caisey saved his best for last after getting back on his feet, as he won the ball back and smashed it from 30-yards past Roberts to put an exclamation mark on his team’s rampant display.

*Hamilton Parish 2 BAA 1 (AET)

Tahjae Welch's extra time winner sent Hamilton Parish through to the First Division Shield quarter-finals at Devonshire Recreation Club last night.

The winger controlled midfielder Samuel McKittrick's cross in the box before lashing the ball into the net in the 102nd minute.

Earlier, Parish central defender Jakio Williams put his team ahead in the 15th minute, after following up on his own rebound from Jordan Outerbridge's inswinging corner in the box.

Williams's tally appeared to have been enough until BAA striker Patrick Quinn converted full back Sebastian Davis's cross in the 84th minute to send the game to extra time, where Parish ultimately prevailed to remain on course for the coveted league and Shield double.

SCORERS:

Devonshire Cougars: Darrel 6, 22, 49; L Simmons 67; Bascome 74; C Caisey 83, 90

TEAMS

Devonshire Cougars (4-1-4-1): R Brangman 7 – D Williams 7 (sub: J Mouchette 62), Chris Caisey 7, Z White 7, A Cannonier 7 – Z Simmons 7 (sub: J Wade 71) – K Minors 7 (sub: Q Maynard 71), C Caisey 7, E Darrell 8 (sub: D Bascome 62 7), D Coddington 7 – L Simmons 7 (sub: C Albouy 75). Substitutes not used: K Trott, M Battersbee

Somerset Eagles (4-4-2): J Roberts 6 – M Iris- Simmons 6, K Harrison 6, K Evans 6, S Lambert 6 – D Joell 7, E Fubler 7, K Astwood 6 (sub: J Rogers 72), A Telford 7 – D Simmons 6, S Smith 6. Booked: Lambert, Rogers. Sent off: Lambert.

Referee: T Simons