North Village 2 Devonshire Cougars 0

North Village clinched the FA Cup for a record-tying eleventh time to complete an impressive league and cup double at Flora Duffy Stadium on Sunday.

Goals each side of the break from forwards London Steede and Jai Bean were enough to secure the Premier Division champions their second piece of silverware of the season against a Devonshire Cougars side that squandered a penalty and a handful of other chances.

Village were deserved winners on the day as they dominated proceedings but were themselves guilty of wasting good opportunities to put the game away much earlier.

Cal “Patches” Dill Jr, the Village coach, is thrilled to have pulled off the league and FA Cup with his childhood club.

“It’s wonderful and more so because I have done it with my boyhood club, my family club, and with this group of guys,” he told The Royal Gazette. “These guys are some special players.

“They have also made history for North Village and it’s a pleasure to do it for the Village community and for my family.”

Dill also earned a FA Cup winner’s medal as assistant coach of a St George’s Colts side that beat seven-man Village 4-0 in the same final twelve months earlier before rejoining his boyhood club at the beginning of the season.

“It’s a pleasure to come back home and do what we have done as a team,” he said.

“I also want to take my hat off to my coaching staff, they all have been a great help. This is an easy group of guys. I just made them a family and we got the job done.”

As for his team’s display on the pitch, Dill said: “I thought we dominated the game from jump. We just stuck to what we had to do and got the job done.

“I would like to thank our sponsors, the North Village community and fans for coming out and being a great support for us this season.”

Detre Bell, the Village captain and goalkeeper, is delighted to see he and his team-mates reap the rewards for the hard work they put in this season.

“It feels real good to be an FA Cup champion and we guys worked really hard for this day,” he said.

“We knew what happened last year to us but this time around we are celebrating and we deserved it. It feels really good and my team worked very hard for it.”

As for achieving the league and FA Cup double, Bell said: “Winning one trophy is nice, but winning two is even more special.”

Bell was confident he and his team-mates would come away with the desired outcome.

“Cougars has a good a side and I knew they were going to come out here and try and play football,” he said.

“But I knew all it was going to take was for us to keep our shape and eventually we would get on the board. I knew I had to do my part by keeping the ball out of the net, which I did, and my defence I can’t help but thank them.”

Announcing his retirement after earning a third FA Cup winner’s medal was Village midfielder and former PHC stalwart, Tre Ming.

“That’s it! I’m done, I am a fan,” Ming said.

“My goal was to deliver Village a league title and was able to do that and go one better in wining the FA Cup, so I am happy to go out a double champion.”

Village’s second FA Cup title in three seasons brought them level with PHC for the most wins in the competition. It is also the first time they have won the league and FA Cup double in the same season since the 2005-06 campaign when they achieved the coveted ‘Triple Crown’, also consisting of the Friendship Trophy.

Cougars nearly drew first blood against the run of play when central defender Zari Simmons curled a 25-yard free kick just wide of Bell’s far post.

But it was Village who eventually broke the deadlock through Steede. Cougars stopper Q’Shai Darrell parried defender Liam Evans’ cross and Steede swept the loose ball home from eight yards.

The goal seemed to jolt Cougars into life as Bell made himself big to block Domico Coddington’s shot from point-blank range while fellow forward Charmari Burns volleyed Lejuan Simmons’s pass from just outside of the area inches wide.

Cougars were awarded a penalty when striker Chae Brangman was brought down in the area by central defender Rai Sampson. However, Village were let off the hook as Coddington’s effort struck the post.

Darrell was called into action again to save striker Jonte’ Smith’s lob during a fluent counter-attack, while at the other end Village recovered after Brangman intercepted Sampson’s back pass to Bell to preserve their one-goal advantage at the half.

Cougars made a tactical change at the start of the second period with Simeon Burrows and Elisha Darrell replacing defender Jazario Brimmer and Burns.

The ploy nearly paid immediate dividends as Darrell’s shot from close range was saved by Bell after being released by Simmons’s through pass.

Bell also had to be alert to palm away Coddington’s dangerous inswinging corner while opposite number Darrell rushed off his line to gather the ball from Bean’s feet.

Bean eventually doubled Village’s advantage and all but put the game to bed with a brilliantly taken goal. The live-wire forward dispossessed Cougars captain and defender Zeiko White, who was also making his final appearance for his team, and dribbled in the clear before firing into the far bottom corner.

Cougars nearly pulled a goal back when Darrell headed Simmons’s cross into the side net.

Village also went close to adding to their tally heading down the home stretch with Darrell saving Smith’s effort from the top of the box and Bean shooting wide after an excellent move involving fellow substitutes Daion Swan-DeSilva and Amir Dill.

Scorers

North Village: L Steede, 17, J Bean, 76

TEAMS

North Village (4-1-4-1): D Bell 8 – K Harrison 7, J Harvey 7, R Sampson 7, L Evans 8 – T Ming 7 (sub: J Smith-DeShields, 87min)- S Spence 7 (sub: T Manders, 80), J Chapman 7 (sub: D Swan-DeSilva, 63 7), L Steede 7 (sub: A Dill, 63 7), J Bean 8 – J Smith 7. Substitutes not used: K Knights, I Simmons, Z Jennings, J Basden. Booked: Sampson, Harrison, Ming.

Devonshire Cougars (4-2-3-1): Q Darrell 7 – J Thomas 7, Z Simmons 7, Z White 7, J Brimmer 6 (sub: S Burrows, 46 7) – M Thomas 7 (sub: D Daniels, 61 6), C Caisey 6 (sub: D’Ari Coddington, 74 6) – L Simmons 6, C Burns 6 (sub: E Darrell, 46 7), D Coddington 7 – C Brangman 7. Substitutes not used: J Wade, M Paynter, C Albouy. Booked: Brangman, D Coddington.

Referee: A Majors.