Hamilton Parish 0 Wolves 1

Wolves bolstered their survival hopes after edging fellow cellar dwellers Hamilton Parish in an action-packed relegation battle at Wellington Oval on Sunday.

Khari Sharrieff’s second-half penalty ultimately separated the Premier Division rivals and kept alive the visitors’ hopes of avoiding an immediate return to the second tier, much to the relief of club vice-president and former player Vince Minors Jr.

“We made it hard missing opportunities, but we gave ourselves a chance. That’s all we can ask for,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“We fought hard but we need to be more clinical in front of goal. You saw how scary it got at the end from the corner they had.”

The result lifted Wolves off the bottom of the standings, but having won only three games all season, they remain three points from safety.

“We’re still in it, it’s not over yet,” Minors added.

“We need a few more points with two more games left, and we’re going to take it one game at a time. That’s what we need to do, take it one game at a time.”

Parish went straight for the jugular from the opening whistle with forward Jordan Outerbridge playing a prominent role in a series of promising attacks.

Wolves midfielder Krishun Douglas had the ball in the back of the net from a set piece against the run of play but his team’s celebrations were quickly muted as his effort was chalked off by the assistant referee’s flag.

The visitors dodged a bullet too when Outerbridge’s ambitious 30-yard free kick rattled the bar.

Wolves gradually got a foothold in the match but wasted a golden opportunity when striker Jarred Douglas was sent clean through but blasted over with only Parish stopper Nigel Burgess to beat.

Parish gained the upper hand towards the end of the first-half but failed to capitalise when scoring seemed easier. Striker Aaron Burgess and forward Kion Knights were both unable to get a touch on defender Jordon Burgess’s inviting cross from point blank range.

The hosts were also unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage as Justin Bell side-footed Outerbridge’s pass over the bar from eight yards as Wolves midfielder Devon Botelho was being treated on the sidelines after suffering a blow to the head.

With the game still deadlocked at the break, Wolves came out swinging when play resumed. They should have opened the scoring when Douglas was afforded time and space in the box but saw his tame effort blocked by Burgess.

It was the striker’s last act as he was replaced by substitute Mackih McGowan.

The tactical ploy paid dividends immediately as McGowan won his team a penalty as he raced towards goal with his first touches of the ball.

Sharrieff made no mistake from 12 yards, sending Burgess the wrong way to put his team out front.

MacGowan was in the thick of action again shortly after, this time testing Burgess with a thunderous effort the latter did well to keep out.

Good defending by Botelho at the other end kept Parish at bay as they went in search of an equaliser. Defender Yeferson Ibaraguen Ramirez then wasted a golden opportunity from the resulting corner to let Wolves off the hook.

Parish kept their foot on the gas and came close when substitute Christopher Binnie’s close range effort was saved off the line Wolves defender Khiari Sharrieff-Hayward.

By now Wolves were hanging on for dear life as their opponents threw everything they had at them and again rode their luck when playmaker Bell’s free-kick from just outside of the area with virtually the last kick of the match curled inches wide of the far post.

“I thought we deserved something out of this match,” Sergio Goater, the Parish coach, said.

“The game is a cruel teacher, but we still have a chance of avoiding relegation.”

Parish, the Dudley Eve Trophy champions, now find themselves at the bottom of the pile four points shy of safety with two games remaining, including a fixture against eight-placed Young Men’s Social Club.

SCORERS

Wolves: Sharrieff 55 pen

TEAMS

Hamilton Parish (4-1-4-1): N Burgess 7 – J Burgess 5 (sub: S McKittrick, 55 min 5), Y Ibaraguen Ramirez 6, Q Outerbridge 6, J Bean 6 – A Nelson 6 – G Burgess 6, K Nights 5 (sub: L Lewis, 60 5), J Bell 7, J Outerbridge 7 – A Burgess 6 (sub: C Binnie, 75 5). Substitutes not used: K Trott. Booked: J Outerbridge.

Wolves (4-2-3-1): C Smith 7 – L Paynter 6, K Sharrieff-Hayward 7, A Butterfield 7, K Brangman 6 (sub: G Minors, 81) – K Douglas 6, K Browne 6 – D Botelho 6 (sub: S Richardson, 81), K Sharrieff 6, T Outerbridge 6 (sub: S Wild, 85) – J Douglas 5 (sub: M McGowan, 55 7). Substitutes not used: S Brown, S James. Booked: S Wild (sub)

Referee: K Jennings.