Boulevard Blazers 3 Somerset Eagles 1

Second-half substitute Ian Coke kept Boulevard Blazers’ First Division promotion hopes alive at Goose Gosling Field on Sunday.

Within ten minutes of entering the field, Coke made an immediate impact with his precision passing and close ball-handling skills to set up two goals before scoring the third from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game to secure three vital points.

“Kudos to the coach for bringing me on,” Coke said. “We needed the points today to stay in the promotion hunt so coach brought me on to help the team and score a goal. I’m glad I came through.”

Boulevard started the game on the front foot and Eagles defender Jacod Estis conceded an early penalty when handling the ball under pressure, but Sanchey Grant clipped the outside of the upright.

Eagles then mounted an attack down the right flank with Michael Emery finding space to get his shot off but the ball rolled wide of the upright before young Blazers midfielder Dareiko Walker shot at Eagles goalkeeper Jermaine Rumley, who fumbled but did well to collect before Grant got to the ball.

Boulevard goalkeeper Diaz Chambers was alert to rush off his line to block Emery’s firm drive with his foot to keep the scores level after a half in which Blazers dominated but had nothing to show for it.

Coke was introduced shortly after the restart and with nearly his first touch found the overlapping Terrance Stovell, who shot for goal and Rumley could only help the ball into the back of the net after his attempt to push it over the top failed.

Within minutes Blazers doubled their lead albeit but it proved a bitter-sweet moment for veteran Darius Cox. Cox played a give and go with Coke and beat Rumley in a foot chase to the ball to steer it into the net but he injured his shoulder in a collision with the goalkeeper and had to be substituted.

Eagles would reduce the deficit to one with a good build-up of their own involving Emery, playmaker Nathan Rego and Marcus Iris-Simmons before the latter hit a low drive which went in off the upright.

Coke sealed the points with the last kick off the game when he held on to the ball to dribble into the box before being bundled over. After brushing himself off, he planted his spot-kick to the left of Rumley to leave Boulevard now four points off the second promotion spot with three games remaining.

SCORERS

Boulevard: T Stovell 60, Cox 63, I Coke 90

Somerset Eagles: M Iris-Simmons 72

Teams

Boulevard Blazers (4-2-3-1): D Chambers 6 — T Stovell 7, Z Stovell 6, A Smith 7, I Mallory 7 — A Famous 6, D Cox 7 (sub: S Robinson, 64min, 7) — S Grant 5 (sub: I Coke 55, 8), N Smith 6, D Walker 7, — K Easton 6. Substitutes not used: K Wint.

Somerset Eagles (4-1-4-1): J Rumley 6 — J Simons 5 (sub: C Roberts, 83) C Mederios 6, J Estis 6, M Basden 6 — M Iris-Simmons 7 — R Woodley-Smith 6, N Rego 7, E Fubler 6, K Astwood 5 (sub: T Smith, 46 6) — M Emery 8. Substitutes not used: D Hayward, E Pitt-Adams, M Brangman, B Hunt. Booked: Iris-Simmons, Roberts.

Referee: T Simons