Wolves 1 Hamilton Parish 3

Dudley Eve Trophy champions Hamilton Parish recorded their first league win of the season at Goose Gosling Field on Saturday night.

Jordan Outerbridge, Gianni Burgess and Zuhri Burgess scored for Parish in the battle between the bottom two teams in the Premier Division to give coach Sergio Goater some comfort.

“We finally got the monkey off our backs,” said Goater, whose side moved off the foot of the table with the result.

“We took some time to settle, as I felt we should have been up by more goals at the half. Hopefully this win will be the start of our recovery, but I want my players to keep thinking that we are in survival mode so that we can continue to play hard and come out of this position that we are in.”

The game started at a fast pace with Parish threatening in the opening minutes when striker Macquille Walker beat Wolves goalkeeper Gatwoine Minors with a low drive but the ball was cleared off the line by a tracking defender.

At the other end, Wolves mounted an attack of their own when Krishun Douglas played Morriko Iris through. He cut inside and shot from an angle, but Parish goalkeeper Nigel Burgess was positioned well at the near post.

Wolves were denied again when Kyle Browne hit a low free kick that forced the goalkeeper to make a partial save with his foot before a recovering defender cleared off the line.

Goater’s team took the lead after a good build-up through their midfield involving four players before Aaron Nelson’s low cross was converted by a sliding Jordan Outerbridge into the bottom left corner, leaving a flat-footed Minors stranded.

Wolves had a great chance to equalise minutes later, but Kyle Brangman shot straight at Burgess after being put through on goal by Iris.

Parish doubled their lead just before the interval when Gianni Burgess ran through the middle. His initial shot was blocked by the advancing Minors, but he reacted quickest to tap the loose ball into the empty net as Parish took a two-goal cushion into the break, which could have been greater if not for the alert Minors twice denying Walker.

After the restart, Walker’s determination led to Parish’s third goal when he flicked a shot towards goal from a Justin Bell cross only for defender Kwan Smith to handle inside the box. Zuhri Burgess sent goalkeeper Minors the wrong way with his spot-kick.

Wolves never gave up the fight and should have scored in the wake of teenager Khari Sharrieff’s 30-yard screamer that goalkeeper Burgess could only parry into the path of Iris, who ought to have done better than slicing his effort wide from six yards.

Iris made the scoreline look respectable with a consolation goal in added time when he kept his composure to place his shot into the bottom left corner beyond the reach of a diving Burgess.

Parish are now level with Wolves on four points at the foot of the table but ahead on goal difference.

SCORERS

Wolves: Iris 90+2

Hamilton Parish: J Outerbridge 36, G Burgess 43, Z Burgess 67 pen

TEAMS

Wolves (4-2-3-1): G Minors 6 — K Douglas 6, K Smith 6 (sub: S Wild, 69min 5), J Martin 6, L Paynter 5 — K Sharrieff 7, K Browne 6 (sub: J Smith, 59 5) — M Iris 7, J Douglas 6 (sub: T Outerbridge, 69 5), M Ming 6 (sub: J Steede, 59 5) — K Brangman 6 (sub: A Butterfield, 69 6). Substitutes not used: C Smith. Booked: Martin, Paynter.

Hamilton Parish (4-2-3-1): N Burgess 7 — J Outerbridge 7, Y Ramirez 6, M Hill 5 (sub: S McKittrick, 54 5) J Bean 5 (sub: K Knights, 67 5) — Q Outerbridge 6, Z Burgess 6 — J Bell 7, G Burgess 7 (sub: K Trott, 81), A Nelson 7 — M Walker 7. Substitutes not used: K Wade. Booked: J Outerbridge, Ramirez.

Referee: O Hamilton (Jamaica).