After a week of failed attempts to get football restarted following the cancelled matches last weekend, both teams were relieved that this clash between the second and third placed teams went ahead at Bernard Park.

Even though host club North Village didn't charge admission, there were only a few dozen fans in the ground when the match started, those staying away obviously not wanting to experience further disappointment of a wasted trip.

And with Vasco having all but wrapped up the league title, the outcome of the match was of little significance. Both teams were understrength with Village fielding seven Bantam players and Town also without a number of starters as they had Reggie Tucker, Carlos Smith, Wylie Rudo and Dean Bailey listed as their subs.

With an appearance in the FA Cup final coming up next month, Town coach Mark Trott was anxious to have the match played. Village obviously felt the same way as they had a full squad kitted out and ready to play before 3.00 p.m.

"From what I gather, based on what our club president (Cecil Lewis) told us, the affiliates did meet the other night and they made a decision to finish off the season,'' said Trott afterwards.

"However, at the end of the day the club executives really can't control it if the players themselves decide they don't want to play.

"They can't make a player go out on the field and play. They obviously can take action if they feel they need to take action, but that's up to each individual club.'' Trott was confident that even before he went to the ground that the match would go ahead.

"North Village called us today and wanted to know if we were coming to play,'' he stated.

"My players had every intention of playing, but we knew last week that the league championship was gone.

"I can only speak for the players at Dandy Town and these guys love football and want to play football. They figure if it is a decision that has to be made between the executives and the affiliates that they would leave it up to Cecil Lewis, the president, to sort it out.'' Bermuda Football Association are now facing one of the most disruptive finishes to a season with games on three nights last week not going ahead because teams refused to play... all in reaction to the association's decision to cancel First Division games the previous weekend because of violence at grounds.

Trott accepts that those abandoned matches had no bearing on his team's failure to win the league.

"The guys made up their mind a couple of weeks ago that we had given the league away to Vasco in that we didn't beat them during the course of the season,'' said Trott.

"So any decision that the BFA made was not going to affect the final outcome...we messed up. So not playing the matches last weekend, as far as the championship was concerned, was not an issue.

"However, it might have been an issue for other teams in respect of relegation or in North Village's case, who were fighting for the championship like us.'' Town, even with top scorer Darron Simons out with the flu, and Reggie Tucker nursing an injury on the bench, looked the more threatening and took just 16 minutes to take the lead when McLee Smith scored with a low shot that went in off the base of the far post. The points were all but in the bag 13 minutes later when Jomar Wilkinson scored the first of his two goals after the Village defence was again penetrated.

Wilkinson made it 3-0 in the 54th minute when his shot from the edge of the penalty box took a slight deflection before beating Shervin Jennings in the Village goal.

A header from striker Kevin Hurdle almost made it 4-0 in the 71st minute but the effort smashed against the crossbar following a corner on the right by Smith.

Village's best chance fell to substitute Nyon Steede, normally a goalkeeper, but his 80th minute volley brought a good reflex save from Antoine Lightbourne who had a relatively quiet game in the Town goal.

Town also took the opportunity to give Carlos Smith some game time after absence through injury. He came on in the 65th minute for Wilkinson and looked lively up front.

North Village: S.Jennings; D.Jennings, P.Mahoney, M.Hansey, R.Spence, Marlon Dill, T.Jennings, J.Boyles (J.Thomas 57 mins), O.Ray (K.Simpson 55 mins), J.Jennings, J.Smith (N.Steede 71 mins).

Dandy Town: A.Lightbourne; L.Furbert, D.Outerbridge, D.Binns, G.Gibbons, S.Tuzo, C.Wilkinson (C.Smith 65 mins), D.Boyles, W.Place, M.Smith, K.Hurdle.

Referee: Gary Cook.

Men of the match: Jemeiko Jennings (Village), McLee Smith (Town).

Football's back: After a week without action, soccer returned yesterday with three First Division matches. At Bernard Park, Jamal Smith of North Village shields the ball from Dano Outerbridge of Dandy Town.