Lionel Furbert is crying foul over Jason Smith being overlooked as Best Goalkeeper in the recent Bermuda Football Association?s (BFA) Prize Presentation.

Dandy Town?s skipper insists that, based on statistics, Smith ? the younger brother of Male MVP Carlos Smith ? merited the award and is fuming that his team-mate did not receive his due.

?My opinion is based on the facts and has nothing to do with him being our goalkeeper. Of all positions in football it?s the one that can be judged by statistics and I feel he should have been Best Goalkeeper for 2003-04. I was really shocked when Jason didn?t get it,? said Furbert of the accolade which went to veteran Dwayne (Streaker) Adams of Southampton Rangers.

Comparing results, he noted that Town gave up a league-low 12 goals ? eight with Smith between the uprights ? while Rangers surrendered 21 league strikes to opponents.

In all competitions, Smith played 14 matches (13 completely); had 11 goals in total against his name ? three in the Martonmere Cup plus those in the league ? and registered five shut-outs (four in the league).

Furbert?s statistics went further, stating that in first-half action Smith conceded nine goals in nine games and, in second-half play, he gave up just two goals in five games.

?Jason Smith was undefeated in league play for 2003-04. He played with a defence that didn?t have one player nominated for Best Defender which must mean he was extra special,? argued his captain.

?I thought our defenders were good also ? because Dandy Town allowed the least number of goals in league play ? but if none (defenders) were nominated in that category it must mean our goalkeeper was really great.

?Jason Smith lost only one game in the entire year which was our first game of the season in the Martonmere Cup to Somerset Eagles 3-0 and two of those goals were penalties.

?He was undefeated in 13 games thereafter. Unfortunately he was injured for the last four games of the season.?

Furbert, who has represented Town for the past 17 seasons, noted Smith?s accomplishments came amidst various changes to the defensive line-up throughout the year which saw seven different starters at right back and four at left back.

?Goalkeeper is a specialist position and there were only a handful of ?keepers to choose from. I didn?t think you could choose anyone in the First Division because they are not coming up against the best strikers. They have lesser opposition.

?Streaker (Adams) was not even in my nominations for Best Goalkeeper and I?m sure he felt he had a bad year,? said the 32-year-old whose club achieved the Premier Division and FA Cup double.

Stressing that Smith knew nothing of his plan to speak out on the matter, the Town leader said that maybe the coaches ? who voted for the player awards ? did not realise just how much the St. John?s Road gloveman had shone.

?I want everybody to know. Maybe now they will say he should have gotten it. This is for my player because I felt he had an outstanding year and he wasn?t rewarded for it.

?Streaker and I are friends but I?m going out on a limb because I felt my goalkeeper had an excellent year. That?s why I?m doing this.

?He may not be a better goalkeeper than Streaker but he definitely had a better season than Streaker and that?s the point I want to make.

?He gave up less than half of what Streaker gave up.?

Furbert also saluted Smith?s older brother, Carlos, for his outstanding effort, saying he justly deserved recognition as the season?s best player.

?I thought he had a splendid year. Not only did he score 15 goals for Dandy Town but he also supplied a lot.

?We don?t measure assists in Bermuda but he set up a lot (of goals) and I know the work he has done. On top of that, his team won the league and the FA Cup.?