Sub Marvin plays hero and villain
Substitute Marvin (Lewis) Belboda grabbed a goal and then a red card as Devonshire Colts clinched the second semi-final spot from Group B yesterday at Bernard Park.
Colts, who had group leaders Dandy Town playing second fiddle to them for most of the first half, lost that edge after the break before Belboda gave their attack some extra pep and kept them in the competition with an important equaliser.
Belboda had only been on the field seven minutes when he netted the equaliser in the 76th minute, driving a low shot past goalkeeper Jason Smith after a cross from the right found him unmarked in the penalty box.
The break down the right involved another Colts sub, Jerry Laws, who had been on the field for only a minute, and when the cross beat the defence Belboda was there to score against his former team.
However, the sending off spoiled Belboda's day as he was sent packing deep into injury time for violent play against the Town goalkeeper after he lunged for a loose ball. The incident brought an angry reaction from some of the Town players as tempers boiled over.
Town went into the game knowing that they were already certain of advancing and they played within themselves as Colts -- needing a draw to advance ahead of North Village -- did most of the attacking in the first half.
Goalkeeper Smith was forced into his first save inside the first minute when Tito Smith's shot at the near post was turned away for the first corner of the game.
Reggie Tucker went close for Town a couple of minutes later when his shot from the right side of the box was blocked by the diving Troy Hall and booted away by his captain Shannon Burgess.
Colts had strong claims for a penalty turned down midway through the half when Smith went down from a challenge in the box.
Both teams made substitutions early in the second half, with Sekai Waldron replacing Aaron Anderson in the Colts midfield and Town bringing on Jomar Wilkinson for Sean Simmons, both within five minutes of the restart.
Town raised their game a notch as the energetic McLee Smith, formerly of PHC, came on to replace Wolde Place. Colts were now doing most of the defending as Hall slapped a ball over the crossbar from a corner on the left by Kris Martin.
Martin was denied four minutes later by the upright after his shot across goal beat Hall before hitting the post and coming back out in the 71st minute.
The goal that Town threatened to score came just a minute later when Dano Outerbridge met Devarr Boyles corner at the far post and scored with a header from an acute angle.
Colts clinch semis berth From Page 25 Colts, the first winners of the Martonmere Cup back in 1972-73, only had to wait four minutes for the equaliser. Now they will wait a couple of more days to see who will win Group A between Vasco and Boulevard and thus provide the opposition in the October 13 semi-final.
Town's Dean Bailey was carried off on a stretcher with a leg injury two minutes from the end.
Dandy Town: J.Smith; D.Bailey, S.Simmons (J.Wilkinson 50 mins), D.Outerbridge, W.Rudo, K.Martin, D.Boyles, D.Binns, H.Wolffe (M.Trott 83 mins), W.Place (M.Smith 58 mins), R.Tucker.
Dev.Colts: T.Hall; K.Lawrence, S.Burgess, M.Hollis, J.Simmons, T.Smith, K.Smith, J.Samuels, A.Anderson (S.Waldron 47 mins), A.Zuill, M.Gibbons (M.Belboda 69 mins).
Men of the match: Devarr Boyles (Town), Shannon Burgess (Colts).
Referee: Anthony Mouchette.