St George’s Colts 1 North Village 3

Jonté Smith made a victorious return to St George’s by scoring a penalty and creating a goal as North Village condemned his former side to their first Premier Division defeat of the season at Wellington Oval on Saturday.

It was the second win on the spin for last season’s runners-up, coming on the back of a 1-0 success over Dandy Town just before the international break.

Smith applied the pressure for Jarazinho Bassett to concede a first-half own goal before the 30-year-old then slotted in a penalty after being brought down by Gregory Wade, with his contributions sandwiching a magnificent strike by Jai Bean.

Substitute Ari Cannonier scored a consolation for St George’s right at the end of the match.

“I was happy to score and get an assist as well, but most of all get the three points,” Smith told The Royal Gazette.

“You win one and then you win two, you try to get on a run of getting in the habit of winning games. The next game is the most important and this group of players, that’s how they view things.

“We’re just looking at the next game and trying to put our best foot forward. If you win your next game, you are on a really long run, the next thing you know it’s Christmas and you’re on top of the table.

“We have two good goalscorers in Jai Bean and I. We’re just trying to play together, create chances for each other and then the goals will come.

“Ideally, I want to score as many goals as possible, but I haven't really set a target other than to try and score in the next game.”

Despite a few unsavoury comments from some spectators, the FA Cup hero for the East Enders had some kind words for the St George’s supporters.

“St George’s fans are amazing,” he said. “I know that today they were against me, but when I’m not playing against them, they’ll support me.

“Obviously I’m still here for cricket and they loved the whole cricket season. I think it’s just against Village when they’ll give me a bit of trouble.”

Bean, Bermuda’s hero in Tuesday’s 3-2 Nations League triumph over Dominica, was delighted to score in three consecutive matches.

“I’m so happy I helped my team to win by scoring a wonderful goal,’’ the 22-year-old said. “That’s three goals in three matches and I’m looking for more. If I can get double digits for the season that would be really nice.

“I looked at the wall and it wasn't too big. I knew that if I could get the ball over the wall, I could score from there and that’s what I did.

“It’s two wins in a row now for Village, so we've got a winning streak. I was looking forward to it because St George’s beat us in the FA Cup final and so we came in with a game plan to get three points.”

In a repeat of last season’s FA Cup, with Amaury Majors, the referee who sent off four Village players in charge, it was St George’s who made a bright start.

Detre Bell, back in goal for Village after serving his suspension from the FA Cup final, was up to the task when Jarryd Richardson came searching for a goal in the fifth minute.

Smith could have opened the scoring 11 minutes into the encounter had he kept his header down from Tre Ming’s pinpoint cross. Bell then used his feet to keep out Jahron Dickinson in the eighteenth minute and the Village goalkeeper was also forced to dive full stretch to deny Richardson in the 26th minute.

On the half-hour mark, Amir Dill drew a brilliant save from Jahquill Hill, the St George’s goalkeeper and a minute later, miscommunication between Hill and Bassett presented London Steede with an open goal, but he sent his effort wide.

Village broke the deadlock in the 37th minute. Smith was at the end of a lovely build up from a Dill throw in, nutmegging Hill before Bassett, in a desperate attempt to clear the ball, guided it into his own net.

St George’s were forced to withdraw their star player Blaiz Hall at the start of the second half because of injury. The 23-year-old played the better part of the first half with a limp after going down on the edge of the Village box.

Bean doubled Village’s advantage ten minutes into the second half. His beautifully taken free kick sailed over the St George’s wall and past Hill’s desperate dive to his right.

Smith made it 3-0 from the spot in the 78th minute. The former St George’s striker tumbled in the box under challenge from substitute Wade and Majors pointed to the spot.

Cannonier, who replaced Tah-Ki Tucker in the 59th minute, denied Bell a clean sheet by scoring with the last kick of the game.

SCORERS

St George’s Colts: Cannonier 90+1

North Village: Bassett og 37, Bean 55, Smith 78 pen

TEAMS

St George’s Colts (4-2-3-1): J Hill 6 – J Bassett 5, O Bascome 6, C Neal 6, N Paynter 6 – K Hall 6, N Tucker 6 – J Richardson 6, J Dickinson 6, B Hall 5 (sub: G Wade, 46min 5) – T Tucker 5 (sub: A Cannonier, 59 6). Substitutes not used: D Lodge, M Tucker. Booked: Bassett

North Village (4-3-3): D Bell 6 – L Evans 6, R Sampson 6 (sub: T Harris, 78), J Basden 6, K Harrison 6 – T Ming 6 (sub: T Manders, 70), S Spence 6 (sub: T Correira, 82), A Dill 6 (sub:)— L Steede 7, J Bean 8, J Smith 8. Substitutes not used: K Knights, J Hayward. Booked: Spence, Simpson

Referee: A Majors.